The Unlikely Heroes of Arendelle
by Lindstrom
Summary: When a traitor turns against Queen Elsa and hires an army of mercenaries, Elsa finds herself fighting a battle she isn't sure she should win. Kristoff resorts to reckless measures to protect Anna, while Anna steps into government to help Elsa. With a castle full of war refugees, and a mountain full of enemy soldiers, Arendelle must find hope in its most unlikely heroes.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: This book is the sequel to "Queen Elsa's Councilor." If you haven't read it, I can catch you up on the plot in this note and prologue chapter. If you want to meet all the original characters in this story, they make their first appearance in "Queen Elsa's Councilor," and some of the events come up in this story.**

**To summarize, one of Elsa's Councilors, Gerhard, joined Prince Hans during the coronation storm and came to believe that Queen Elsa's powers make her too dangerous to rule Arendelle. The other six Councilors remained loyal to Elsa. This prologue chapter is chapter 13 from "Queen Elsa's Councilor." The first chapter of the new story follows right after it.  
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**Gerhard is the traitorous councilor. Rodmund is Head of the Council, and is loyal to Elsa. Lord Kennet of Hamar is one of the foreigners that Prince Hans consulted with most closely during the events of the movie. Hamar borders Arendelle along the mountaintops.**

**Arendelle and the movie characters belong to Disney. The original characters and the plot are mine.**

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><p><strong>Prologue Chapter – Traitor<strong>

There was not a formal council meeting when Lord High Councilor Rodmund confronted Lord Councilor Gerhard about his conduct. Rodmund encountered him near the portrait gallery, and they stepped inside. The silent portraits on the wall were their only witnesses, and they would never tell what transpired.

"Given your willingness to cooperate with a man who wanted to assassinate the queen, your ability to continue to serve on this Council is in question," Rodmund said, his piercing brown eyes full of controlled anger.

"I was under orders from Princess Anna to obey Prince Hans, same as you were," Gerhard replied, the flesh straining over his sharp cheekbones as he clenched his jaw.

"And yet none of us took matters as far as you did," Rodmund said.

"What do you want, Rodmund?" Gerhard demanded.

"I want you to reaffirm your oath of loyalty to Queen Elsa and recant your support of Prince Hans. The entire Council needs to hear it," Rodmund said. "We haven't decided yet whether to lay the entire matter before the queen. Your behavior will influence how much she needs to know about what you've done."

Gerhard's nostrils flared with unconcealed anger. "And who does Queen Elsa answer to? When will she be called to account for what she's done? She still has those strange powers, Rodmund. What's to stop her from doing this again? Arendelle isn't safe as long as she's alive."

Rodmund was in Gerhard's face, shouting, "You're speaking treason!"

"It's not treason to protect my country from the greatest threat it has ever faced!" Gerhard bellowed back. "How can you accept her as queen after what she's done?" The accusation echoed off the high walls of the portrait gallery.

"She's the queen! Would you have us plunge Arendelle into civil war? I can't explain her powers, but I've watched her grow up. I've seen her run this country in the years since her father died with the best interests of her country in mind. Her dedication to Arendelle is remarkable considering what she's been dealing with. This disaster wasn't intentional; that's obvious. She's a good woman who had a terrible secret and she deserves another chance. She has what it takes to be queen, and a good queen at that. The alternative is war, Gerhard. Don't go there," Rodmund warned.

"Intentional or not, she still has the capability to destroy Arendelle. Will it matter to anyone who freezes to death if she meant to do it or not? I'll do what's best for Arendelle, Rodmund. And that's my final word on the subject," Gerhard said. He walked out, leaving the tall wooden door open behind him.

In the hope that he would reconsider, Rodmund waited too long to order Gerhard's arrest. Captain Vilrun returned from Gerhard's estate with the unwelcome news that Gerhard was gone.

~###~

Lord Councilor Gerhard of Arendelle rode his bay stallion into a lather along the seashore road heading south. He caught up with the delegation from Hamar near Unnam Valley which marked Arendelle's far southern border, before they turned east into the mountain passes to reach Hamar.

"Lord Kennet! A word with you, if you please," Gerhard said with a bow from his horse.

Lord Kennet of Hamar turned his black horse aside to walk next to Gerhard's bay, who was still blowing hard with the exertion and the heat of the summer day. "I congratulate you on resolving the crisis," Lord Kennet said.

"It isn't resolved, just delayed," Gerhard said shortly, yanking on the bridle when his mount tried to stop and drink from a puddle by the side of the road. "She could set off another blizzard at any time."

"Keep it on your side of the mountain," Lord Kennet suggested.

"I've got a better idea than that," Gerhard replied. In a low voice and a torrent of words, Gerhard acquainted Lord Kennet with his thoughts.

"It's an interesting idea you propose," Lord Kennet said to Gerhard when he had finished outlining his plans and intentions. "My hands are tied, of course. Any foreign involvement would trigger your defense alliance treaty with Easthaven, and then where would we be? However, if it should happen that the throne of Arendelle were to fall vacant due to an internal civil matter, Hamar might be willing to help you stabilize the situation after the fact."

Gerhard considered. As Lord Councilor over Public Order, he knew Arendelle's defenses and weaknesses better than anyone. He'd written their plans for them, and trained their small corps of Castle Guards. Without Easthaven's assistance, Arendelle could be forcibly overrun by only a few hundred men. If Easthaven got involved in Arendelle's defense, he would need a bigger army. With some time to plan, he believed he could take over Arendelle more easily by himself than with Hamar's official assistance. "Naturally, mercenary soldiers who are hired for pay could not be traced back to any government," Gerhard suggested.

"Naturally," Lord Kennet agreed. "I understand that sometimes the soldiers of Hamar are willing to do some independent work for the right price, without any government involvement of course."

"Of course," Gerhard said. His horse plodded along now, head down, but no longer gasping.

"As your landlocked neighbor, Hamar might be enticed by the offer of free use of Arendelle's seaports. In fact, such an offer might be so attractive that Hamar would have a strong interest in enforcing peace in Arendelle if such a thing as the death of Arendelle's royalty caused any turmoil in our neighbor over the mountains," Lord Kennet went on. "Arendelle has been very selfish with its seaports, if you don't mind my saying so."

"If there was such turmoil in Arendelle, it might be that Arendelle would consider free use of its seaports to be a fair trade for help in restoring order. And if it happened that the death of Arendelle's queen was necessary to safeguard all the kingdoms of the world from destruction by ice, perhaps the other kingdoms of the world would look favorably on the ones who were willing to undertake such an unpleasant task," Gerhard suggested.

"It is possible they would have the world's gratitude," Lord Kennet conceded.

"I thank you for engaging in this conversation of hypotheticals," Gerhard said.

"What conversation? I didn't hear anyone say anything," Lord Kennet replied.

"Of course not," Gerhard said.

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><p><strong>Author Note: It took some time for Gerhard to pull things together, so this book picks up four months later, in the fall. In the interim, Anna began studying history to prepare herself to start taking a greater role in Arendelle's government, which you can read about in "A Touch of True Love." Her teacher is another member of the Council, Gustav.<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – A History Lesson<strong>

"Twenty-three years? They fought for twenty-three years?" Princess Anna asked, astounded. She was seated at a table in the castle's comfortable library, with Councilor Gustav next to her. A fire crackled in the fireplace, taking the morning chill off the room. One wall was covered in a map, while bookshelves lined another wall. The bright sunlight streamed in through the triangular, diamond-paned windows.

"They were well-matched. Remember that the shortest wars are the most unbalanced. Stenneswatt and Breiwick had similar resources and populations, so the fighting could grind on and on," Councilor Gustav said. "All the atrocities of war continued unchecked for an entire generation."

"How did it end?" Anna demanded. "Who won?"

Gustav, Arendelle's Councilor over Foreign Relations and Anna's tutor, wrote down a citation. "I want you to look up the treaty. Read it and compare it to what they started with. I'll be back tomorrow evening. When I come back, you tell me how it ended and who won. Then we'll continue by discussing the impact of that much devastation and how long it took to recover."

Anna nodded, pulling the slate over to look at the citation. She'd been so worried when Councilor Gustav had insisted she learn history before she got involved in Arendelle's foreign relations. However, she soon learned history was nothing but an endless succession of stories of people and how they tried to get what they wanted. She was hooked. Gustav couldn't teach her fast enough. He also thought she was smart. Anna was not used to people thinking she was smart. Gustav was a few years older than her father would have been if he was still alive. But where her father thought she was a silly waste of time and never bothered himself with her, Gustav told her she was a quick study and very perceptive. He was feeding her heart as well as her mind.

After a light knock, the library door opened and Finn, the castle page, came in. He was about twelve, and too thin for his height, with crooked shoulders and clear blue eyes. "Lord Councilor Bern and Lord Councilor Vilrun to see you, sir," the page said with a bow towards Gustav. "And Kristoff is waiting in the kitchen courtyard to see you," the page continued, with a bow towards Anna.

Councilors Bern and Vilrun came in while Anna said, "Tell him I'll be right down." Anna was delighted. He was finally back from the mountains. And he'd actually asked to see her! She hadn't seen Kristoff since they'd had that terrible fight after their picnic six weeks ago. She was so busy now that days could go by without even thinking about it, but then she would remember that she'd been angry at him the last time she saw him and she felt crushed all over again.

Gustav put a hand on Anna's shoulder, keeping her in her seat. "Finn, invite Kristoff to come up. Good morning, Bern, Good morning, Vilrun," he said, as Finn bowed and left.

"Good morning," Vilrun replied with a bow to each of them. Vilrun was Arendelle's newest member of the Royal Council. He'd been sworn in as the Councilor over Public Order shortly after Queen Elsa's coronation. Prior to that, he had served as the Captain of the Castle Guard. While he wasn't tall, he was powerfully built through the shoulders, with beetled black brows and heavy jowls.

"Hello, sir. Good morning, your Highness. How are the history lessons coming?" Bern greeted them.

"Bern, how did the war between Stenneswatt and Breiwick end?" Anna asked.

"I'm not sure I remember exactly," Bern admitted, rubbing his fingers through the dark hair he kept cut short because he didn't like how curly it was when it grew out.

Gustav waved a finger at Anna. "You're bright enough to figure it out. Then you can refresh Bern's memory for him."

Anna bubbled at the idea that she would get to teach Bern something. He was the youngest councilor by far, only in his mid-twenties, and she didn't regard him with quite the same awe that the others inspired in her.

Finn knocked at the door again to announce his presence. "Your Highness, Councilors, Kristoff is here."

Kristoff had changed out of the heavy woolen tunic and sheepskin vest he wore in the mountains into a blue shirt with a burgundy sash. His gray trousers were tucked into his ice harvester boots with the curled toes. He barely stepped inside the room, glanced around uncertainly, and then smiled at Anna. She gave him a tiny wave and wondered why Gustav was keeping her in her seat.

Gustav stood up. It was easy to forget how tall Gustav was because he was so thin. Even Kristoff had to look up to him. Gustav's black hair was touched with gray at the temples, and a few gray strands lay in his goatee. There were a few lines around his mouth. "Finn, please be so good as to fetch Olaf for me." Then he turned back. "Good morning, Kristoff. Is this a busy season for you? Forgive me for not knowing much about the ice business."

"It's not as busy in fall because the lakes haven't frozen yet. Mostly we're getting gear ready and things," he trailed off. "Sir," he belatedly added.

Gustav nodded. "I see. Did you make plans for Princess Anna today?"

"Uh, I thought we'd go over to the marketplace. She said she wanted to meet one of my friends. And I could show her around Arendelle Village," Kristoff offered.

"Is this something you want to do, your Highness?" Gustav asked her.

"Well, yes, I'd love to," Anna said. Gustav still had his hand on her shoulder, or she would have been gone by now.

"I assume you'll have the princess home before dark?" Gustav went on.

"Of course, sir," Kristoff answered, this time remembering the 'sir' without a pause.

"Very good. You already know Councilor Bern, I believe. This is Councilor Vilrun, formerly the Captain of the Castle Guard," Gustav introduced him. Kristoff looked a little more confused as he nodded at them. "Councilor Vilrun will alert the doorman to be expecting you before nightfall. Should you be late, he'll be able to come help you with whatever situation caused the delay. I'm sure only an emergency would cause a late return. Unfortunately, I will be gone by then, but the doorman will report to Councilor Vilrun, of course."

Anna wondered what was going on. She caught Bern's eye and he winked at her.

Olaf ran into the room, trailed by Finn. "Hi, Anna! Hi, Bern! Hi, Kristoff! Hi, sir! Hi, Vilrun!"

"Hello, Olaf," Gustav greeted him. "Kristoff has kindly offered to show you and Anna around Arendelle today."

Olaf danced with glee. "Really? I love Arendelle! Are we going now?"

Gustav released his hold on Anna's shoulder and she stood up. Olaf grabbed her hand, then tugged her over and grabbed Kristoff's hand. He pulled them both towards the door.

"Kristoff, I'm sure a servant can help you locate Princess Anna's cloak," Gustav said.

"Yes, sir," Kristoff answered over his shoulder as Olaf dragged them out.

"Enjoy your day, your Highness," Bern called after them.

Anna was not sure what just happened, except that she knew she had just seen a master diplomat at work. She looked at Olaf, then at Kristoff, and giggled. Today was going to be fun.

~###~

As he watched Olaf pull Kristoff and Anna out of the library, Bern chuckled, then he laughed. "Sir, how many daughters have you raised?"

"Five." Gustav sat down, gesturing Bern and Vilrun to take a seat.

"It shows," Bern said. "Were you able to contact the people I told you about?"

"Yes, and we've gotten more contacts from them," Gustav said. "How is that going, Vilrun?"

"We've tracked down several of the other men who harvest ice, as well as some of Kristoff's customers and friends. We have yet to find someone who can accuse him of swindling them, or any form of viciousness. When he does offend people, he's quite straightforward about it. In general, he's rather tenderhearted, especially with his reindeer. Naturally, we've found a few people who don't like him, and a couple of people who have bragged about cheating him. The ice harvester that lost the castle's ice business to Kristoff is still upset at him, but that was Queen Elsa's decision, and not due to any malfeasance on Kristoff's part," Vilrun summarized.

"You know I can vouch for Kristoff's character as well, sir. I've seen him around the marketplace for years. He works hard, and I've never heard anyone impute dishonesty or cruelty to him either," Bern said.

"That's essentially what we're turning up as well with our inquiries," Gustav answered. "He seems to be a decent fellow, even if his manners are thoroughly reprehensible. I'm glad he's gone so much with his work. He is, of course, completely inappropriate as a suitor for the princess."

"They seem to be good friends," Bern said. "Her Majesty has encouraged the relationship."

"I've seen my daughters through many a broken heart. What the princess needs now is simple friendship. I'm sure Olaf's presence will ensure that nothing romantic accidentally takes place today," said Gustav.

"I don't think Kristoff will break her heart," Bern said.

"I meant Prince Hans," Gustav answered. "That's not even four months past, and our princess is still feeling the sting. These things take time."

"Sir, have you told Princess Anna about Prince Hans yet?" Bern asked.

"I'm still waiting for final confirmation from Lord Nolan of Lingarth. I don't trust the Southern Isles, and I won't believe a word they tell me unless Lingarth can confirm it. Can you imagine if I told Princess Anna, and then had to tell her I'd been mistaken?" Gustav replied.

"Yes, I agree with the delay," Vilrun said.

Gustav nodded. "Now, what did you find out about Gerhard?"

Lord Councilor Vilrun had been appointed to the fill the vacancy as Councilor over Public Order when Councilor Gerhard deserted Arendelle after the coronation crisis. Vilrun was seeking information about his former superior officer in an effort to find out where had gone and what he was doing. "We've learned that Gerhard is selling off his land. Bern has found several of the people who have purchased from him, and they appear to be ordinary purchases. Harold is looking into where the money is going, and that's been harder to find. None of Gerhard's old contacts have been involved in the transactions. If he's selling off his land holdings, perhaps he doesn't intend to come back to Arendelle."

"That would be the easiest solution, wouldn't it?" Gustav said. "I'm still sifting through the other men who were in Prince Hans' inner circle during the coronation crisis. Of the four of them, I'm most concerned about Lord Kennet of Hamar. Our shared border with Hamar gives them the most reason to worry about another freeze. Lord Kennet has always been the slippery sort. I hate to draw conclusions based on nothing but conjecture, but Hamar worries me the most."

"I believe there is some time pressure about Gerhard's activities. Bern tells me he's taking a loss on some of his land sales for the sake of selling them quickly. It may just be a desire to be done with Arendelle, but I don't want to draw that conclusion without proof," Vilrun said.

"Do we talk to the queen about any of this?" Bern asked.

Gustav shook his head. "We don't have anything to tell her. As long as we don't hear anything from Gerhard, we're all just chasing shadows and there's nothing to worry about."


	2. Chapter 2 - Around Arendelle

**Author Note: There are two details from previous stories that are relevant for this chapter. In "A Touch of True Love," Anna told Kristoff that she considers him to be only a brother. Anna is still wary of romance because of Prince Hans. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what Kristoff thinks of that.  
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**The other detail is that Olaf and a friend spent an afternoon finding every hiding place in Arendelle Village while playing a game in "Olaf's Marketplace Adventure."**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 – Around Arendelle<strong>

Kristoff and Anna strolled slowly along the causeway in companionable silence, punctuated by Olaf's interruptions as he came to tell them he'd just seen a bird, or a fish, or a rock. They could hear the faint shouts of the boatmen and dock workers at the harbor on the castle island. The ocean lapped against the stone pilings beneath them. There was enough of a chill in the fall air to make Anna glad that Gustav had insisted she bring a cloak.

"What are you staring at?" Anna asked him finally. Her hands went to her hair, wondering if her braids were coming undone.

"You," Kristoff said. "I forgot how pretty you are while I was gone."

"Oh!" Anna's blue eyes lit up and she tried to keep her smile from becoming too obvious, which only served to make it lopsided.

"I mean, I know you said I'm just a brother to you and all that, but is it okay to notice you're the prettiest girl in Arendelle?"

"Do you know all the pretty girls in Arendelle?" Anna asked, glad she was wearing the dress with the green embroidery around the hem. It peeked out below the soft, brown wool cloak she wore.

"Naw, I only know reindeer. You're lots better looking than Sven, and you smell better too. Don't tell Sven I said that though. I wouldn't want him to get his feelings hurt." Kristoff danced out of the way when she swatted at him.

"Look! I found a feather!" Olaf handed Anna a gull feather and ran off again.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you the last time I saw you," Anna said, twirling the feather.

Kristoff shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I deserved it."

"You've been gone six weeks. Is that about how long you'll be gone every time you go up to the mountains?" Anna asked.

He shrugged again. "It changes."

"Will you be here for Christmas?"

"When's Christmas?"

Anna swatted at him again. "December twenty-fifth. Everyone knows that. You're here at Christmas, aren't you?"

"I've never paid much attention to Christmas," Kristoff answered.

"Will you be here?" Anna pressed again.

"It depends on the ice. I don't know," Kristoff said.

Anna scowled at him. "What about my birthday?"

"Which is?"

"April third," Anna answered.

"Spring is our busiest time, Anna. All the lakes are frozen and we're working to fill up the ice cellars and storehouses for the summer," Kristoff said.

This time she growled at him in frustration. "Fine, what about your birthday?"

"My birthday?"

"Yes, your birthday. Will you be here on your birthday?" Anna asked in irritation.

"I don't know when my birthday is. Seriously, who's going to remember when I was born? Let's just say it's the same day as your birthday," Kristoff said.

"So you can miss both of them at the same time?" Anna demanded.

"Okay, how about we say today is my birthday?"

Anna stabbed the feather at him. "I just want to know when you're going to be around."

"I don't know when I'm going to be around. It's not like anyone has ever cared when I'm around. I sell ice for a living. I don't have a schedule, just a job." Kristoff's tone was starting to pick up the same frustration that Anna was speaking with.

"Fine, forget it," Anna said.

"Great idea. Hey, what was that all about when I came to get you?" Kristoff asked.

"I'm learning history from Councilor Gustav. Elsa is putting me in charge of Arendelle's foreign relations," Anna said proudly. "I'm going to be a diplomat."

A minute passed.

Anna smacked his arm. "Well! Say something!"

"If Arendelle thought a midsummer was freeze was a disaster, they haven't seen anything yet!" Kristoff said with a laugh.

Anna blinked tears away. She'd wanted to impress him. Kristoff was so strong and capable and could do everything. Elsa was brilliant and had mysterious, glamorous powers. She wished she could be more like them and impress people too, but she would only ever be completely ordinary. Gustav said she was smart, but maybe he was just being nice because Elsa told him he had to teach her.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"Okay. Do you want to meet some friends of mine in the marketplace? This is the last week before most of them pack it in for the winter," Kristoff said. "You said you wanted to meet Tyra, the flower girl."

"You remembered that? I'd love to meet Tyra," Anna said, putting a smile back on and tossing the feather into the harbor.

Tyra was a brunette about Anna's age, with dark eyes, pearly white teeth and a laugh that rang like a bell. She made bouquets out of leaves and pine cones and the last late summer flowers that were beautiful enough to be in a painting. Anna had to remind herself that Kristoff thought she was prettier than Tyra so she could be nice to her. But all her resolve disappeared when Tyra asked Kristoff if he was going to walk her home tonight and Kristoff said yes.

"Will you come too, Princess Anna?" Tyra asked.

"No," Kristoff answered for her. "She has to be back to the castle before dark."

"Do you have trouble finding your way home, Tyra?" Anna asked.

"Well, no, but Kristoff always walks me home when he's in town," Tyra answered.

"She carries money, Anna," Kristoff said. "If I'm with her, no one bothers her."

"Isn't that nice of you?" Anna said. "Excuse me, I'm going to look at the scarves."

Anna was angrily admiring a dark blue scarf woven with silver threads and wondering if she should buy it for Elsa when she saw Olaf leaving the marketplace with a boy. "Olaf!" she called, but Olaf was already too far away to hear. She hung the scarf back on the peg and went after him. And she really didn't care if Kristoff came with them or not.

~###~

Kristoff hadn't been talking to Tyra very long when Flora, the berry woman, grabbed him by the shoulder, pulled him around and pointed. "Your snowman and princess are headed to the waterfront," she said.

"What?"

"You knew Olaf and Raston's boy, Tomov, are friends, right? Olaf followed Tomov when his papa took him to the waterfront, which he really shouldn't do, but you know what sort of person Raston is. The princess went after Olaf," Flora said.

"Bye, Tyra," Kristoff called back as he took off at a run.

The docks used to unload merchant ships were built on the castle island, in the deep water. The small dock on Arendelle's mainland was too shallow for anything but boat launches carrying sailors who were looking for taverns, and the occasional smuggled item. The village constables traveled in pairs to the waterfront, when they went there at all. The place didn't have real streets, just paths and alleys that grew up between the buildings. Once Kristoff got to the outskirts, he couldn't guess which way Olaf and Anna might have gone. He ran down one alley and then another, knowing that Councilor Gustav would take his head off if he found out that Anna had gone to the waterfront today.

He ducked back behind a tavern to avoid six men with knives who looked like they were following someone. Then he realized he ought to find out who they were following. He cut down another alley to get in front of them, and found Anna.

He ran up to her and grabbed her arm. "You are not supposed to be down here!"

"I had to find Olaf," Anna objected. "He went with a friend."

"We're leaving now. We don't want trouble," Kristoff said loudly.

"Who are you talking to?" Anna looked around and saw the ruffians. "Oh."

"Give us the girl's jewelry and cloak, and there won't be any trouble," one of them answered.

"That's not really an option," Kristoff said.

Olaf came running up. "Hey! You found me! Want to meet my friend?"

There was a minute when no one spoke and then one of the ruffians said, "That's the queen's snowman! This isn't just some rich man's daughter, friends. We've found the princess of Arendelle. She's worth more than a cloak and some jewelry. Your price for safe passage just went up," he said to Kristoff. He fingered the blade on his knife.

Kristoff pulled Anna around behind him. "If anyone here causes a problem for the princess, the Castle Guards may clean out this entire rathole. How about we trade safe passage for your chance to continue to enjoy this armpit of Arendelle?" Kristoff countered.

He was moving sideways, watching the door behind the ruffians where he could hear a fight. The tavern door was shoved open and bouncers threw out a couple of men, who crashed into the group that was threatening them. Kristoff ran, pushing Anna ahead of him.

"Are we playing fox and rabbits? I know where we can hide!" Olaf darted off down a narrow alley. The alley ended in a litter-strewn yard. Olaf was tugging at a door half-buried in the ground. "There's a cellar here."

Kristoff yanked on the handle and the door came away. "Get in! Quick!"

"Are there spiders in there?" Anna asked doubtfully.

"Yes, thousands of them. And they don't have knives! Get in!"

"Why don't you just fight those men?" Anna protested, still not getting in the cellar.

"There's six of them!"

"Why is that a problem?"

"Olaf! We need a hiding place above ground!" Kristoff said. "Fast!"

"I love fox and rabbits! There's an attic over here!" Olaf ran off.

"Why are we following Olaf?" Anna asked, picking her way quickly over broken barrels and decaying piles of wood and refuse.

"I don't come to the waterfront," Kristoff said. "I have no idea how Olaf knows where he's going, but I don't have any better ideas."

"Look! Here!" Olaf proudly pointed to a spindly staircase that led up to an attic above a small wooden building, boards weathered into grayness.

Kristoff looked at the staircase and decided to go first. If it would hold him, he knew it wouldn't collapse when Anna climbed it.

They made it. The attic was clean enough that Kristoff instantly realized the building wasn't abandoned, but it was too late to get back down the stairs and find another hiding place. Through the cracks in the floorboards, he couldn't see anyone below them. Light filtered in from the windows on both ends of the attic.

"Stay quiet and hold still. We'll get out of here as soon as those men quit looking for us," Kristoff said.

"Ew! I just walked into a cobweb! Ew!" Anna started rubbing her face and shaking out her skirts.

Kristoff decided the best way to get Anna to be quiet was to help her. He picked a dustball off her ruddy braids and brushed off her brown cloak. When he saw a spider running down her cloak, he flipped it onto the floor and stepped on it.

"What was that?" Anna demanded.

"A butterfly." Kristoff picked the one insect he knew wouldn't frighten her.

"You stepped on a butterfly? What sort of person steps on a butterfly?"

"Stop talking."

"No, I mean really, are there wings on the bottom of your boot now?"

He clapped a hand over her mouth and whispered into her ear, "Someone just opened the door downstairs. It's hard to hide when you're this loud."

She glared at him, yanked his hand away from her mouth and, very quietly, flounced away. Kristoff put his finger to his lips to caution Olaf to be silent. Olaf nodded.

Several men came in downstairs, talking loudly. Within a few minutes, the smell of a kitchen fire began to filter up through the cracks in the floorboards. More people came. The attic began to smell like fish. They couldn't leave until those men were gone, or they would get caught. It was likely to be a long afternoon. He hoped they could still get home before dark, otherwise that councilor was never going to let him see Anna again.

Kristoff looked over at Anna. She was sitting on the floor with her knees drawn up and her head down. The soft brown wool cloak with the ermine lining on the hood was drawn tightly around her. He didn't think she'd had much fun today, and somehow that was his fault. Very slowly and quietly, he started to scoot his way over to Anna. The men downstairs were loud enough he decided to risk it. Anna needed some comfort. Maybe he could put his arm around her and tell her he was sorry for whatever it was he'd done wrong and assure her that next time would be more fun. Maybe she would put her head on his shoulder. It would all be very brotherly, of course.

He was almost there when Olaf waddled up. "Kristoff, I'm scared," he said, and climbed onto Kristoff's lap.

"Oh, you poor dear," Anna said, taking Olaf's hand.

Kristoff dropped his head back against the wall and blew a long sigh at the ceiling.

"Do you want me to tell you a story?" Anna offered.

"Oh! I love stories!" Olaf exclaimed in a whisper.

He settled himself more comfortably on Kristoff's lap. Olaf may have liked warm hugs, but he was a very cold creature.

Anna began her story. "Once upon a time, a bird fell in love with a fish. 'Beloved fish,' said the bird, 'I will bring you the greatest treasures of my world to win you in marriage.' The bird brought the fish a branch of blooms from an apple tree. The fish admired the soft petals and delicate colors, and admitted there was nothing in her world like that. 'Then will you marry me?' the bird asked. The fish refused. Next, the bird brought the fish a pelt of the softest fur imaginable. The fish admired it, and admitted there was nothing in her world like that. 'Then will you marry me?' the bird asked. The fish refused. The bird decided to bring the fish the most unique and beautiful treasure his world could produce. He wove a golden net from the threads of finest silk and captured a cloud. He brought the cloud to the fish. The fish admired the cloud in its golden net, and admitted there was nothing in her world like that. 'Then will you marry me?' the bird asked.

"The fish told the bird, 'I love you, and I love the riches you have shown me. But I am still a fish and you are still a bird. And while a bird may love a fish, where would they build a home together?' The fish swam away to stay in the sea where she belonged. The bird flew away, but never again did he find happiness in flight and sky like he'd known before he loved the fish, because those were the things that separated him from his true love," Anna finished.

Kristoff decided he hated that story. He knew an ice harvester didn't have anything to offer a princess, which is why he couldn't argue with the brotherly role she'd assigned him, but she didn't have to rub it in.

"Tell another one," Olaf demanded.

"Hold on, it's getting quieter down there," Kristoff said.

He hadn't paid any attention to them before. But as he and Anna fell silent, voices floated up from below them and he noticed something. "They've got Hamarian accents. That's strange. Hamarians come overland to Arendelle; they don't sail to the waterfront."

He laid down flat on the floor and put his eye to a crack. Anna joined him. She was so close that her arm pressed up against his and her green skirt fell over his leg.

"Look," she whispered. "They're ice harvesters. They've got boots like yours."

"They're dressed like ice harvesters, but they're not," Kristoff said.

"How do you know?"

"They're smoking. Ice harvesters don't smoke. You can't waste your lungs when you work at the elevations we work at," he said.

"I know that man they're talking about," Anna said. "Gerhard used to be on the Royal Council, but after Elsa's coronation, Captain Vilrun took his place."

Kristoff put his finger to his lips. They were getting too loud. Another half hour went by and then the entire group of them left.

"Let's get out of here," Kristoff said. "Olaf, take us back to the marketplace."

They made it. He got Anna back to the castle before dark.

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><p><strong>Reviews are appreciated! New chapters will be posted about 3 or 4 times a week.<br>**


	3. Chapter 3 - Sister Talk

**Author Note: I've read several stories in which Elsa doesn't wear gloves anymore and has no problem controlling her powers. Of course, that's a valid interpretation of Elsa's character and I've liked the stories. However, I've taken a different approach to her character development. The song "Let It Go" is Elsa's guiding star. She sang that song while feeling the first freedom and self-acceptance she'd ever experienced. But after the song, she found out she'd frozen all Arendelle and didn't know how to thaw it; she froze her sister's heart; she created a snow monster; she set off a storm at the castle dungeon and blew out a wall; icicles filled the castle while a blizzard raked over the fjord. It's canon that Elsa will still struggle with her powers when her emotions go careening off into difficult areas.**

**If I could sing, I would do a cover song of "Let It Go" and post it online and hope people would see how much that song and this movie meant to me. But I can't sing. These stories are my cover song. How does Elsa learn to live by the ideals in that beautiful song? Of course the movie gave us the answer to that as well – love is the answer. But knowing the answer and living the answer are not the same thing. These stories explore how Elsa learns to live by the ideals she knows and accepts. Really, all of us are trying to learn how to live life according to our own guiding stars. Elsa did fine when she was isolated on the North Mountain. Remember how happy she was when Anna first found her in her ice palace? But things started to fall apart for her as she talked to Anna and learned she can't hide from her struggles. How does she learn to live by those ideals among the complications and messes of real life? That's one of the central themes of the stories I write about her.**

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><p><strong>Author Note 2: Some of the conversation in this chapter references events in "A Touch of True Love." (Once we get past the first few chapters, previous stories stop coming up so often.)<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 – Sister Talk<strong>

Elsa was in her sitting room after supper, trying to embroider sunflowers onto a pillowcase. She'd spent the day discussing the coming winter's food crisis with Councilors Marda and Harold. Gustav was on his way to find someone who could sell them a few shiploads of grain. Harold, her finance councilor, was trying to figure out a way to pay for it. The loss of all trade revenue from Weselton was causing Arendelle some financial hardship. She was tired of thinking. She wanted to create something beautiful and orderly, since there wasn't anything beautiful and orderly about all the problems around her right now. But she'd never embroidered before. Whenever she got frustrated with her sagging, crooked stitches, she froze the needle. Then the cloth snagged. Her flowers were snarled. In a way, it was a relief to struggle with something so minor for a change.

Anna tapped on her door and came in. "Hi. What are you doing?"

Elsa held up the pillowcase. "Guess what I'm trying to embroider?"

"Sunflowers?"

"Really? You can tell?"

"Not really. I just figured that since it was you, it would be sunflowers," Anna answered. She sat down next to Elsa on the settee and took the pillowcase from her. She unpicked the last few stitches, rethreaded the needle and began whipping the yellow thread in and out. "Elsa, am I really smart enough to be a diplomat and be important to Arendelle?"

"Of course you are. Is Gustav pushing you too fast?" Elsa asked.

"No. Gustav says I'm a quick study. But I told Kristoff I was learning history and was going to take over foreign relations and be a diplomat and he laughed at me," Anna said. She finished the petal and handed it back to Elsa. "There, like that."

"Is this another one of those things that takes practice?" Elsa asked, looking at the perfect sunflower Anna had just embroidered.

"Yes," Anna said.

"We're each trying to practice the things the other one is already good at, aren't we?" Elsa pointed out. "I know history and government, and you know everything else."

"I don't think embroidering sunflowers is on the same level as running a country," Anna replied.

"All right, I won't try to convince you that you're already wonderful and I've learned so much from you," Elsa said. "Stick with Gustav's opinion of how you're doing, though. He knows more about what you're learning and how well you're doing than Kristoff does."

"He went to go walk another girl home after he brought me back to the castle," Anna said. Anna told Elsa about Tyra, the flower girl in the marketplace.

"You told him he was like your brother, Anna. If he really was your brother, would you mind if he walked Tyra home?" Elsa asked.

"Well, no. I mean, yes. I mean, I don't know," Anna said. "And he won't even promise to be here for Christmas, or my birthday."

"Kristoff will be Kristoff, whether your want him to be like that or not. I don't think he's used to having someone who wants to know when he'll be around," Elsa said.

"That's what he said," Anna said with a sigh. "I don't know why he can't just tell me when he'll be here. He doesn't make any sense to me. Elsa, a couple months ago you told me about your new magic where you can fall into someone's heart and see what's really important to them. Can you do that with Kristoff?"

Elsa went back to her flower petals. "That wasn't my magic, it was yours. It only happened once with Gypsy, then a bit with Kristoff, and then you. Nothing since then. I learned what I needed to learn, I think."

"What do you mean it was my magic? I don't have any magic. I'm completely ordinary," Anna said.

"The first time it happened was with you on the fjord, remember? When I finally accepted your love, I could see from your perspective. True love is deeper magic than ice and snow. I think your magic was powerful enough that I got to experience a few aftershocks to help thaw out my heart a bit more. You really don't know how powerful and influential you are, do you little sister?" Elsa said.

"I'm not, though. I'm just silly and scared of spiders and I have to be home before dark," Anna said, drawing up her knees so she could rest her chin on them.

Elsa smiled at her. "What I sensed about Kristoff is how independent he is, almost to isolation." She handed the embroidery back to Anna. "Here, fix this one for me."

"What did you sense about me?" Anna asked, unpicking Elsa's stitches again.

"I sensed that you need to be needed, and how much it hurt when I refused to need you all those childhood years. And now you've run into a man who doesn't want to admit he needs anyone at all," Elsa said.

Anna heaved a huge sigh. "Well, he is just my brother, after all." She handed the embroidery back to Elsa.

Elsa pursed her lips and compared Anna's tightly sewn, precise sunflower to what she was able to make, and sighed. She tried again.

"Can I ask you something? And don't freeze the room, okay?"

Elsa smiled. "I can put my gloves on."

"All those years I knocked at your door. Why didn't you even say hello to me? You could hear me," Anna said.

"Just a minute. I need to think of a horse," Elsa said. She closed her eyes and took a long, slow breath. Then she kept stitching because it was easier to look at the pillowcase than to look at Anna. "I heard you. I knew what you wanted. But I took the coward's way out, Anna. I couldn't say what you wanted to hear, so I refused to say anything at all. The longer I was silent, the more I wrapped myself up in my own fears, and that made it all worse."

"What did you think I wanted to hear?" Anna asked.

"You wanted me to be your sister," Elsa said. "And I couldn't do that without risking your life, or that's what they all told me anyway. They said if you even knew who I was and what I could do, it could destroy you."

"They were wrong," Anna said sadly. "That blonde lock of hair is gone now. It disappeared after I froze on the fjord and then thawed." Anna put her hand up to her head where she'd had a blonde streak for most of her life.

"Anna, what was that like for you?" Elsa asked, putting her embroidery in her lap.

"It's like I just stopped existing. One minute I was running towards you, so scared that I wouldn't get there in time, and then everything stopped. It didn't stop really, I mean I know it happened, but it's like I broke off from the world and stopped being part of it," Anna said. "I don't know how to explain it in words. I mean, I'll always exist, but it's like I didn't have any connection to the world for a few minutes."

"You completely disconnected?" Elsa said in awe, envious that Anna had experienced something she'd wanted to do for her entire life.

Anna shuddered. "It was terrifying, like I was outside reality."

"That's terrifying?" Elsa said, trying to keep any reaction from showing. She'd always wanted to disconnect from reality. That was at the heart of her mantra to 'conceal, don't feel, don't let it show.' Elsa had spent her childhood trying to keep her true self from any connection with the outside world because of the damage she could do. And Anna thought the whole goal of Elsa's life was terrifying.

Elsa picked up her embroidery and froze the needle. Frost spilled onto the pillowcase and crackled the fabric. Elsa dropped it on the floor and seized her gloves. Her hands shook as she pulled them on.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Anna said.

"You didn't. What you said didn't upset me," Elsa reassured her. It was the realization that she was still completely different from anyone who was ordinary that upset her. Anna was so ordinary that she wanted to connect with reality and considered it terrifying to be disconnected. Elsa still struggled with the idea that she should want to be part of reality. She was dangerous. Reality should be afraid of her; she was certainly afraid of it.

"I'm glad we're sisters again, Elsa," Anna said. "I love you."

And there it was again – Anna, her truest connection to reality. Anna still frightened her sometimes because she kept trusting her. It was frightening to have Anna trust her when Elsa still wasn't sure she could trust herself. And yet Anna kept holding onto her.

"I love you too, Anna. You're the most forgiving person I know. I don't deserve you, you know that?" Elsa asked with a smile.

"Oh, stop that!"

Elsa laughed and tugged her gloves off again. "Do you want to go horseback riding tomorrow morning? I don't have to meet with anyone until mid-afternoon when Marda gets back. I think both of us could use some time away," Elsa said. "I'm giving up on this." She stuffed the pillowcase with its crooked stitches into a drawer and slammed it shut.

"That's a wonderful idea!" Anna said, lighting up. "Should we invite Kristoff?"

Elsa laughed again. "You decide."


	4. Chapter 4 - What Olaf Found

**Chapter 4 – What Olaf Found**

Kristoff showed up at the castle kitchen in time for breakfast. He ate his way through two platefuls of crisp bread with cheese and pickles, sourdough bread with lingonberry jam, and a bowl of oat porridge before asking Finn, the castle page, to see if Councilor Vilrun could see him. While Finn was gone, he ate soft flatbread wrapped around yogurt and jam and drank half a pitcher of apple juice.

Finn came back. "Lord Councilor Vilrun is in the south wing council room and is willing to see you."

"Thanks, Finn." Kristoff finished the apple juice and headed up the servant stairs at the end of the kitchen corridor.

Kristoff was relieved to see that Bern was with Vilrun. He'd known Bern for a few years, but had just met Vilrun yesterday. They had papers and parchments spread on the table in front of them. Bern wore a black vest over a blue shirt, with his top button undone and his ascot untied. Vilrun had his uniform coat buttoned up to the collar.

"What can we do for you, Kristoff?" Bern asked him. He laced his fingers behind his head and stretched in the chair without standing up.

Kristoff pulled up a chair and sat down without waiting for an invitation. "I came to tell you what went wrong yesterday." Kristoff briefly explained about going to the waterfront. At Vilrun's obvious displeasure he added, "I take responsibility for it. It was my fault for not paying close enough attention to Olaf. But don't think I'm stupid enough to have taken Anna to the waterfront intentionally. I got her out of there safely."

"Was she subjected to any unpleasantness? What details are you leaving out?" Vilrun demanded, his bushy, black eyebrows drawing down in anger.

Kristoff started over and raked up every detail he could think of. He told Vilrun about the men who wanted Anna's cloak and jewelry, hiding from them in the attic, and the long wait. He described what he'd heard once they started paying attention to the men in the house below them.

"Yes, Anna said she recognized Gerhard's name," he confirmed when Vilrun interrupted to ask him again on that point.

"What were they talking about, Kristoff? What did you hear?" Bern asked, his gray eyes alive with interest.

Kristoff had to think about it. Anna had been right next to him, her arm brushing up against his and the flowery scent of her hair filling his nose. Listening to what was going on downstairs had not been his top priority. "They talked a lot about money, Gerhard's money. Only it sounded more like they were buying people instead of things, if that makes any sense. Maybe hiring them. They had Hamarian accents and talked fast."

"Are you sure about the accent?" Vilrun asked.

"Yes. We run into Hamarians at the ice lakes all the time. They work their lakes and we work ours, but no one really knows where the country boundaries are along the mountaintops," Kristoff said.

"That's useful to know, Kristoff," Vilrun said.

"Can I still see Anna?" Kristoff asked.

"I think we can trust him not to make the same mistake twice, Vilrun," Bern said.

Vilrun considered him a long moment, lips pressed tightly together. "All right, on the condition nothing like that ever happens again. Mistakes only happen once. If it happens twice, it's sloppiness."

Kristoff nodded and stood up. "Agreed. I'll show myself out."

On his way down the corridor, he ran into Anna and Elsa, dressed in riding skirts and boots. Anna smiled when she saw him, which made the whole ordeal of talking to Vilrun worth it. Elsa, as always, was more reserved, but she looked pleased to see him as well. When he'd left for the mountains after he ruined Anna's picnic the last time he'd seen them, he'd wondered if he even had a chance at friendship with them anymore. He'd simply taken off because he was so ashamed of his behavior, and shocked that he'd spilled his guts to Elsa and told her things about his past that he'd never shared with anyone. Kristoff didn't think of himself as a coward, so when he realized he was staying in the mountains because he was afraid to see them again, he'd come back and asked to see Anna. Then somehow, he had managed to mess up again yesterday. He hoped they would let him try again.

"Kristoff!" Anna said. "Why are you here? We're going horseback riding this morning. Do you want to come with us?"

They were giving him another chance! A band of tension in his chest relaxed. "Good morning, Elsa, Anna. I came to tell Vilrun what happened yesterday before he heard it from Olaf. And yeah, I can come riding. I'll go get Sven. Where should I meet you?"

"We'll get our horses saddled by the time you can get back to Sven. We'll meet you at the marketplace, and then we're going to the Albion Basin," Anna said.

"See you in a few minutes!" Kristoff replied, dashing off to get Sven, determined that this time he wasn't going to mess up with his newfound sisters.

~###~

The Albion Basin was in the foothills above Arendelle Village, half an hour's ride by horseback from the edge of the village. A gently sloping meadow led down to a lake that held the reflection of its border of willow and aspen trees, golden with autumn, and the backdrop of the mountains rising above them. It was a protected, bowl-shaped valley that wasn't home to anything but rabbits and deer.

The small group rode past the opening in the rock ridge that marked the basin's boundary. Anna's horse, Thunder, kept looking at Sven, then back at Anna. "You be nice to him," Anna whispered. "Sven is a friend." Thunder snorted haughtily and arched his neck. Anna tried to pull Thunder up next to Sven, but Thunder kept prancing off. Gypsy, Elsa's horse, was more willing to keep pace with Sven, who was shorter than the horses by several hand spans.

"Did you find the ice you needed at the other lakes?" Elsa asked Kristoff politely.

"There's not much left by late summer. We pretty much quit hauling ice about this time of year and wait for the hard freezes to set in," Kristoff answered. "Have you gone skiing again?"

"Excuse me?"

"Skiing. When I chased you off after I ruined the picnic, I'm still sorry about that by the way, you skied off down a trail of ice," Kristoff said. "It looked totally fun!"

"Oh, um, no, I haven't done it again. I don't really think of anything to do with ice as being fun," Elsa said. Her hands were in gloves, and she looked at them in puzzlement.

"Seriously?"

Anna pulled on Thunder's reins, trying to get between Elsa and Kristoff. What if they had a fight again? Kristoff was talking about ice, of all things. Everyone knew you didn't talk to Elsa about her powers. That freaked her out.

"Do you ski?" Elsa asked, turning the conversation away from her.

"It's a chore when you have to stop and wax the wood after every run. Ice blocking is a lot easier, and just as fun. There's no way to steer an ice block! Have you gone ice blocking?" Kristoff asked.

"Well, no," Elsa admitted.

"I haven't either," Anna called out.

"I've been ice blocking!" Olaf volunteered from his perch behind Elsa on Gypsy's rump. "I mean, I just use myself, but it works the same way."

Anna turned around in the saddle to try and change the subject away from ice while Thunder kept trying to avoid Sven. "Have you ever tried to put a saddle on Sven?" Anna asked.

Kristoff gave a bark of laughter. "He'd buck me off if I tried that! Nah, we get along fine as it is. I don't usually ride him, actually. He humors me once in a while, though."

"I like riding Sven!" Olaf announced. "Catch!" Olaf called out as he jumped from Gypsy over to Sven. Kristoff caught him and Olaf scrambled up to sit on Sven's head between his antlers. Sven tried to roll his eyes up to see Olaf.

"Elsa, you're doing great!" Anna said as Gypsy broke into a trot for several paces.

"Thanks. You're a good teacher," Elsa replied. "Anna has been teaching me to ride a horse, although she's still disappointed that I don't like to go fast," Elsa explained to Kristoff. "She's teaching me just about everything, actually."

Kristoff shrugged. "I can't ride a horse either. I've only ever ridden Sven."

"Really?" Anna was delighted to find that she knew how to do something that Kristoff didn't know how to do. "I could teach you!"

"I'd have to check with Sven," Kristoff said. "And borrow a horse."

They reached the edge of the trees. Anna pulled Thunder to a stop. Sven sat down and Kristoff slid off the back.

Elsa swung down off Gypsy. "I don't mind if you ride Gypsy. Will Sven mind?"

Kristoff turned to Sven. "Is it all right, buddy? Just for a minute."

Sven gave him an offended look and blew a snuffle at him.

"It's okay, Sven," Anna said, scratching Sven's head. "Would you let him do it for me?" She smiled at him and cooed.

Sven gave Anna an adoring look, then nodded his head at Kristoff.

"Well, I'm glad you like one of us," Kristoff said to him.

Sven put his head down and shoved Kristoff towards Gypsy. Kristoff put his foot in the stirrup and settled himself in the saddle.

"Well, you," Anna started, but every time she tried to give Kristoff instructions, he was already doing it. It took about two seconds and he was trotting around in a circle.

"Hey, how fast can she go?" Kristoff asked Elsa.

"You should find out," Elsa replied.

"Race you to that tree over there," Kristoff called to Anna. He flipped the reins and Gypsy took off at a gallop.

"False start! Get back here!" Anna shouted, pounding after him on Thunder.

They went whooping and hollering across the field together.

"I won!" Anna proclaimed.

"I'll let you think that," Kristoff said. "Race you back!"

They pulled up next to Elsa, Sven and Olaf. Kristoff dismounted, then offered Elsa his hand to help her up to the saddle. Sven came right up to his ear and bellowed in it.

"Hey, cut it out! I came back," Kristoff protested, giving Sven's head a shove. "Come with me, ladies. There's a spring up the trail you need to try. It's the best water in Arendelle."

Kristoff boosted Olaf up to Sven's back and they walked up the trail to a bubbling spring. Dead leaves rustled on the ground, and the fall air blew a chill through Anna's cloak. The spring cut through a bank of round rocks, eddying past a shock of golden grasses. Anna cupped her hands and drank. Kristoff was right. She'd never tasted such sweet water. Elsa took her gloves off and scooped up a handful of water as well.

"Um, guys," Olaf said, holding out his twig hands. "I can't get a drink."

Kristoff took his knife and cut a square of birch bark off a fallen log and twisted it into a cone-shaped cup for Olaf. He filled it with water and handed it to him.

"That water does taste good!" Olaf said. "Just like birch bark!"

Anna snorted into her water and started coughing. Elsa managed to drop her handful of water before she started to laugh.

"Elsa? Are the leaves going to come back to the trees?" Olaf asked, looking around the hollow. He set his bark cup on the ground.

"In the springtime. Everything blooms out again in the springtime," Elsa assured him.

"Oh good, summer will always be my favorite season, but I like springtime too," Olaf said.

"You and I will see our first springtime together," Elsa told him.

Olaf frowned and puzzled that out. "But you didn't just get built four months ago."

"No, but I've only seen springtime from my window. This next spring, we're going to walk through an apple orchard in blossom together, and come see the meadow turn green, and find all the crocuses in the castle gardens," Elsa said.

Olaf came and leaned against her. "It sounds pretty."

"Yes," Elsa said.

"Look! A squirrel!" Olaf ran off after the squirrel, mouth wide open in an excited grin.

Kristoff watched him go and laughed. "Does anyone remember life before Olaf? Because I sure don't."

Anna knew exactly what he meant. She wished life could always be like this. Kristoff was happy to be with them. Elsa hadn't bothered to put her gloves back on after she got a drink. Sven was having a friendly conversation with Gypsy, and Thunder was condescending to stay within earshot. Olaf was being Olaf. If only she could freeze this moment in time and not let anything change.

"Hey guys! Look what I found!" Olaf came charging back towards them, sending Elsa scrambling out of the way of the full-length spear he was carrying.

Kristoff grabbed it from him.

"There's a whole bunch of them back there! And swords too! I'll show you!" Olaf said.

Olaf led them to an opening in the hillside. None of them would have seen it from their height, but it was eye-level for Olaf. He pushed aside some fallen branches that might once have concealed the entrance, walked into the low cave and came out with a sword.

Kristoff grabbed that from him too. "Don't touch anything else, all right Olaf?"

"Let me see," Elsa said, taking the sword from Kristoff. She looked it over. "These are from Arendelle's armory. That's the royal crest. How did they come to be here? I need to talk to Vilrun. What should we do with the rest of them?" She bent down to look in the hillside crevice, which was crammed with weapons.

Anna hung over Elsa's shoulder, then looked back at the spear Kristoff held.

"How come I can't touch them?" Olaf asked Kristoff. "I found them!"

"These weapons are bigger than you are," Kristoff told him.

Olaf sighed.

"Why would someone steal our weapons?" Anna asked. "I didn't know we even had that many weapons!"

"It's way too much to carry back. Now that we know where it is, Vilrun can send someone to get them later," Kristoff said. "Come on, let's get back to the castle."


	5. Chapter 5 - Homework

**Chapter 5 - Homework**

Anna waited until the last minute to look up the treaty Gustav had assigned her. She thought it would be easy to figure out whether Breiwick or Stenneswatt had won the war, but the treaty didn't make any sense. No money changed hands at the end of the twenty-three year war. She kept comparing the boundaries to the map, and she couldn't see where any territory had changed hands either. There was no mention of tribute. No one had to marry anyone else.

She looked again at the map that covered an entire wall of the library. It was a tapestry, woven and dyed into Arendelle and its neighboring kingdoms. Bookshelves of thick tomes framed it.

The library door opened and Gustav came in. "Good evening, your Highness."

"Sir, I don't understand this treaty," Anna said. "Oh, and good evening. Is anyone going to sell us grain?"

"Only if we pay cash, which is in short supply right now. Harold is trying to work out something. We startled the world badly enough at the queen's coronation that no one is willing to extend us credit. That's a conversation for tomorrow's council meeting, though." Gustav pulled out a chair and sat down. "Tell me what you know about the treaty between Breiwick and Stenneswatt, then we'll talk about what we understand."

"I know that no one paid reparations. No boundaries changed. No one had to marry anyone else to guarantee the peace. Nothing happened at the end of this war except they agreed to stop killing each other and go home," Anna said.

"So who won the war?" Gustav asked.

"It's like neither one of them won. This treaty made it like the war never happened," Anna said.

"Except for twenty-three years of destruction. Burned fields, terrorized populace, death and disease, all those men killed, an entire generation that grew up knowing nothing but a childhood of war," Gustav added. "You're right; no one won the war. But a treaty can't change what already happened."

"Why did they fight in the first place?" Anna asked. "It was such a waste. Why didn't someone see they couldn't win and not start the war? Or at least end it sooner?"

"Bad diplomacy," Gustav said. "The first rule of good diplomacy is that if you can't have what you want, find a way to want what you have. A bad diplomat insists on having things his own way, even if that means destroying both parties."

"That's terrible!"

"It's easier to see in hindsight, of course, Princess. At the time, one country thinks that if they just insist enough, the other country will do what they want. The other country refuses. It escalates. In hindsight it's easy to see how foolish it was, but if a diplomat is too blinded by what he wants to see what he's doing, it's very tempting to think that being more forceful will get you the desired result," Gustav said.

Anna thought about it. "Does that apply to people too, or just countries?"

"Life would be a lot easier if people applied that rule to each other," Gustav said.

Councilors Vilrun and Bern came into the library. "Good evening, your Highness. Please pardon the interruption. Gustav, we have a matter of some urgency that we need to discuss with you before the council meeting tomorrow."

Anna settled back to listen. She loved to hear these informal meetings and find out how people and governments worked behind the scenes.

"Your Highness, while we would never want to dismiss you, this matter isn't quite ready to be presented to your and your sister yet," Bern said with a deep bow.

"Oh!" Anna said and jumped up. While these people were her teachers, and were fast becoming her friends, technically she still outranked them and they reported to her. "You have homework to do too, don't you?"

"Yes," Gustav agreed. "And I have something important to tell you. Delegates from Lingarth will be here next week to finalize a trade agreement involving our wool and their cast iron. I expect you to attend the meetings. We will need your input on how the agreement will affect our sheep ranchers. I'm sure Councilor Marda will be happy to acquaint you with the issues before then."

"Of course," Anna said. Gustav was such a good diplomat he could dismiss her and give her another assignment and make it feel like a privilege. Someday, she wanted to be that good.

She walked down to the first floor to the portrait gallery. These portraits had been her best friends through a very lonely childhood. She still came here when she needed to be alone without feeling alone. Joan of Arc still held her heroic pose. She'd always been fascinated by that portrait, and devastated when Gustav taught her Joan of Arc's story and how it ended.

"Would you have fought the war you fought if you'd known how it would end?" Anna asked the portrait. "Or would you have stayed at home, had a family, and stayed out of the history books? You would have lived longer, you know."

Joan didn't say anything. Anna sat down under her portrait and drew up her knees. If you can't have what you want, find a way to want what you have. The trouble was that she didn't know what she wanted where Kristoff was concerned. With her mind, she had decided Kristoff would be like a brother to her. But she wasn't sure her heart agreed. She kept hoping he liked her even as she insisted he keep his distance.

Even if he did like her, they didn't get along very well, and he didn't have a good opinion of her judgment. Really, she couldn't blame him for that when she thought back to all the foolish things she'd done, starting with insisting they leave for the North Mountain in the middle of the night when she'd first met him at Oaken's Trading Post. Wolves don't hunt in the daytime. If she'd been willing to wait a couple hours like he suggested, he wouldn't have ended up driving his sled off a cliff with wolves in pursuit. Then she'd gotten them both thrown off another cliff because she'd infuriated Elsa's snow monster by hitting it with a snowball after Kristoff told her to leave it alone.

The ice skating party had been fun, but then he'd left the next day. When he finally came back, she'd insisted they go on a picnic together, which set off a fight. He left again, and took six weeks to come back. She'd been so happy yesterday that he'd wanted to spend time with her on his own accord, but then it had turned out to be a miserable, confusing day. Going horseback riding this morning had been fun, though.

She tallied it up. There had been two good times with Kristoff. Everything else was either a crisis or a quarrel. Why couldn't he cooperate with her more? She just needed to know exactly when he would be around. He needed to stay home more than he was gone. She also didn't want him to be friends with any girls besides her. And he needed to be really impressed with her. Then they wouldn't have to fight. By this time she'd cried until her handkerchief was soggy.

"Anna?" Olaf was climbing onto the divan next to her. "Why are you crying?"

"Because I'm thinking of Kristoff," Anna hiccupped.

There was a long pause while Olaf wiggled his foot snowballs and tried to make sense of that. Then with an indrawn gasp of horror, he gasped, "Did he die?"

That got a teary laugh from Anna and helped put things in perspective. "No, he didn't die."

"Good! Because I just saw him. I got to go with him to tell Bern and Vilrun all about the swords and spears I found," Olaf said, clearly pleased with himself.

This morning's excitement and happiness seemed very far away from Anna right now, though now she knew what Bern and Vilrun were discussing with Gustav.

"How come you're crying about him?" Olaf asked.

"Well, I guess it's because I want him to do things he doesn't want to do, so he won't do them," Anna answered.

"Why are you doing that? No one wants to do things they don't want to do," Olaf said.

"I don't know. I guess I hope I'll feel better if he does those things, even if he doesn't want to do them," Anna said. Trying to explain it to Olaf made her see how nonsensical she was being. Somehow it all still made sense to her heart though.

"You'll feel better if you make Kristoff do things he doesn't want to do?" Olaf said, completely puzzled. "I thought we all loved each other. Don't you remember what I told you about true love? True love means putting someone else's needs ahead of your own. You should do a better job of loving Kristoff instead of driving him crazy."

"You're right, I should," Anna said, searching for a dry spot on her handkerchief.

"Well, that's all fixed! I'm going to make sure Elsa is happy now." Olaf scooted off the bench and waddled out of the room. "Good night, Anna!"

Bless Olaf and his simple wisdom. She'd spent all this time trying to decide what she wanted, and she hadn't thought at all about what Kristoff needed. Elsa had already told her – Kristoff needed to be independent. That meant she would never know when he would be around or not, but usually not. He would walk Tyra home from the marketplace. He would think she was silly and wouldn't take her seriously.

Now the tears came back. But really, it was all for the best. He was an ice harvester and she was a princess. It was like the fairy tale she'd told Olaf – a bird may love a fish, but they had nowhere to build a home. An ice harvester and a flower girl would be a much better match. In her mind, she married Kristoff to Tyra, gave them a nice cottage in the village that included a stable for Sven, and six children with a daughter named Anna. Yes, he would be happy like that.

If you can't have what you want, find a way to want what you have. She wanted Kristoff to be happy. That meant she had to stop needing him and let him live his life. Now she just needed to teach her heart how to do that.


	6. Chapter 6 - Suspicions

**Chapter 6 – Suspicions**

As the full Royal Council met the next day, Elsa listened to Councilor Vilrun report on their suspicions about Gerhard, her former Councilor who had disappeared after her coronation, and was grateful she was wearing gloves. It took all her strength of will to sit there in the council meeting with a calm look while inside she wanted to run to her room and lock out the world and what she had done to it.

"Councilor," she interrupted Vilrun, "when did you and the others become concerned that Gerhard might be a potential threat? This is the first I've heard about it."

"When I reported his disappearance to Lord Councilor Rodmund, your Majesty," Vilrun replied.

"And when was that?" Elsa pressed.

"The day after your coronation storm ended, your Majesty," Vilrun admitted.

"Four months ago? Rodmund, you have an explanation for the delay, I trust?" Elsa said.

"Your Majesty, in the press of concerns surrounding your coronation and subsequent events, it seemed best to wait and see if there was anything to report before adding yet another worry to your burden. There hasn't been any indication of Gerhard and his plans and whereabouts in those four months. Yesterday was the first we'd heard of him since that time," Rodmund said.

"In other words, you were trying to protect me," Elsa said.

"Yes, your Majesty," Rodmund said. He didn't apologize for it.

Elsa would have scolded him but Anna was watching her. She kept things from Anna for years for her own protection; she could hardly fault Rodmund for doing the same thing to her.

"Continue, Vilrun," Elsa said.

"We are operating on the assumption that he's gone east over the mountains to Hamar. Lord Kennet of Hamar was at your coronation and was in Prince Hans' inner circle during the crisis. He may have sympathized with Gerhard and offered him a refuge. That is all conjecture at this point; Gerhard may be nowhere near Hamar. That's based on a single conversation accidentally overheard by Kristoff and Princess Anna. By far, the weapons cache in the forest is the most troubling part of this," Vilrun said. "We know Gerhard did not personally take those weapons, which means he has an accomplice among the Castle Guard who has access to our armory."

"What efforts are you making to find him out?" Rodmund asked.

"I've met with Captain Torvin of the Castle Guard. We're meeting again tomorrow to look into each guardsman and how much contact he may have had with Gerhard while he served here, see which ones were appointed or trained by Gerhard, any family connections, and so forth," Vilrun replied.

"And how much any of them sympathized with Prince Hans," Bern added.

"Why is that relevant?" Elsa asked.

General silence fell over the council room.

"As you well know, your Majesty, Prince Hans wanted to have you killed," Gustav answered at last as gently as he could.

"Hans wanted the throne of Arendelle," Elsa said. "Surely a guardsman doesn't aspire to the throne. What are you not telling me?"

"Gerhard fully supported all of Prince Hans' actions while he was here," Rodmund explained. "Once Princess Anna left Prince Hans in charge, we were removed from any influence or authority, with the exception of Gerhard who proved himself useful to the prince. Gerhard also stated more than once that you and your powers were the greatest threat facing Arendelle."

"Gerhard wants my throne?" Elsa asked.

"Gerhard wants you dead, your Majesty. I beg your pardon. He and Prince Hans and a few of the others believed that the only way to protect Arendelle was to kill you," Rodmund said.

Anna whimpered, her hands to her mouth.

Elsa nodded. That made sense; she still believed it herself. Her existence truly was the greatest threat facing Arendelle.

Anna gathered her courage and asked, "Is Prince Hans helping him?"

All eyes turned towards Gustav. Gustav fidgeted with the papers in front of him and then met Anna's eyes. "I've been checking and double-checking before I wanted to tell you this, your Highness. The others already know. Prince Hans died on the journey back to the Southern Isles. I received word from Lord Nolan of Lingarth, his escort, that the prince was found dead in his cell the morning they were supposed to reach the Southern Isles. There was no apparent cause. I've made inquiries at the Southern Isles. His family disowned him and his conduct; he was buried in unhallowed ground. They've made their apologies, all very proper of course."

"You still don't trust the Southern Isles, do you Gustav?" Rodmund asked.

"I have no reason to trust the Southern Isles, less now than ever," Gustav replied evenly. "They disowned Hans because he embarrassed them with failure; if he'd succeeded he would have been their favorite son."

"Then why do you trust them when they say Prince Hans is dead?" Rodmund persisted.

"They're not the ones that told me. The news came written in Lord Nolan's personal hand, which I know well, and under his seal. I trust Lord Nolan. The Southern Isles and Lingarth have been rivals for centuries. If Lord Nolan says Prince Hans died, then it's the truth. I delayed a general announcement only until I could confirm how the Southern Isles reacted to his death," Gustav said.

Elsa glanced at Anna and decided to change the subject. "Can we get help from Easthaven? Under the defense alliance treaty, we're entitled to military support."

"The defense treaty with Easthaven only applies to foreign invasion, your Majesty," Gustav explained. "So far, there is no indication that anyone but Gerhard is threatening Arendelle. That makes this an internal matter, and Easthaven won't intervene. That applies even if he hires mercenary soldiers from Hamar. Because mercenaries don't have the backing of a government, they wouldn't be considered foreign invaders if they were hired by a citizen of Arendelle."

"Councilor Vilrun, forgive me for bringing up something I'm sure you're already thinking about, but what sort of protection are we going to provide for Queen Elsa and Princess Anna?" Bern asked. "If we have someone here who is taking orders from Gerhard, surely we can't assume they are safe."

"I can protect myself, Bern," Elsa said.

"Not from a spear you don't see coming, your Majesty," Bern replied. "And you have to sleep sometime. Not only that, but Princess Anna doesn't have your capabilities."

"He's right, your Majesty," Rodmund said.

"The devil of it is that we may have a traitor among the guardsmen," Alan pointed out. "How can we assign them a bodyguard without risking putting them right into the hands of someone who would do them harm?"

"Anna? Do you want to leave?" Elsa asked quietly as the conversation swirled.

Anna kept her hand pressed hard to her mouth and shook her head, eyes wide.

"Captain Torvin and I have a short list of men who we deem trustworthy. They will take the first assignments while we work out whether the rest of them can be trusted or not," Vilrun said. "We also have men infiltrating the waterfront in hopes of finding the Hamarians that were reported in that area. For now, we are leaving the weapons stash in the forest undisturbed so as not to tip off our traitor that his theft has been discovered. We hope this will buy us a few days to gather more information."

"You ought to send Olaf with them," Anna said. When everyone turned to look at her, she went on, "Olaf is the one who led us to the house where we heard the Hamarians talking about Gerhard. And Olaf found the weapons stash in the forest. He's turned up more by accident than you people have found in four months of looking."

Vilrun reddened.

~###~

Anna fled down the stairs to the portrait gallery after the council meeting. Being part of Arendelle's government had suddenly become frightening, and she'd offended Vilrun when she'd only meant to point out how useful Olaf had been.

She sat down under Joan of Arc's portrait again and got out her handkerchief. Hans was dead. She'd wanted him dead for months now. He'd left her to die, and he deserved what happened to him. She had no idea why she needed to cry about it.

~###~

As the council meeting broke up, Elsa approached Bern. "You're all afraid Gerhard is going to attack Arendelle, aren't you? No one would say so."

"We don't have enough information to guess at his actions yet, your Majesty," Bern said. "We know he's raising a lot of money; Hamar is a good source of mercenary soldiers; Gerhard has declared a grudge against you; weapons were stolen from the armory. There is enough to raise strong suspicions, but not enough to say anything is going to happen."

Elsa searched his face. Bern was closer to her own age than anyone else on the Council, and while she held him at the same formal distance she did everyone in her government, he was closer to being a friend than she'd allowed anyone else to be. "If he does attack, should we let him win?"

"Your Majesty?" Bern said incredulously.

"He's right; I'm Arendelle's greatest threat. Perhaps he should win," Elsa said.

She watched the shock and outrage work their way across his face. He had full lips and a very mobile mouth that revealed more of his feelings than even his gray eyes did. He bit his lip, pressed his lips together, started to say something and then stopped. She'd completely confounded him. He looked away for a second and Elsa studied his profile. With his square chin and freckles dusting his nose, Bern wasn't handsome enough to turn heads, but the longer she knew him, the more she liked the way he looked.

"No, absolutely not," was all he said.

Elsa nodded. He was less wordy about it, but that was a lot like talking to Anna. She tried to express her doubts and fears, and she got shut down. No one else would even consider that the kingdom would be better off without her. She could go into exile and leave Anna to rule in her place. That had been the plan in the back of her mind when she brought Anna into actively governing. Anna wasn't ready yet, though. If Gerhard would only wait a few years, she would cooperate with him. But it didn't look like they had a few years.

~###~

"How many guardsmen do you have that you trust?" Gustav asked Vilrun after the meeting.

"Sixteen," Vilrun replied, handing Gustav the list. "There will be more on the list after tomorrow's evaluation, but right now we have sixteen."

Gustav nodded, looking over the list. "If we are dealing with a threat based in Hamar, any attack is likely to come overland, through the mountain passes."

"Yes," Vilrun said.

"Do you have many guardsmen who are familiar with the mountains?" Gustav asked.

"Some were raised in mountain hamlets," Vilrun said.

"Wouldn't it be ideal if you had a guardsman whose loyalty you could trust absolutely, who also knows the mountains like the back of his hand?" Gustav suggested.

"Yes, that would be ideal. I assume you have someone in mind?" Vilrun said.

"Kristoff."


	7. Chapter 7 - Runaway

**Chapter 7 – Runaway**

"How much personal contact have you had with former Councilor Gerhard?" Councilor Vilrun asked Guardsman Oslin. He was nearing the end of a long list of questions they were putting to each guardsman individually about any ties they may have had to the traitorous former councilor.

"I've been a Castle Guardsman for eighteen years. In that time, I've spoken to Lord Councilor Gerhard only twice," Oslin stated. His close set eyes didn't blink as he pressed his narrow lips together under a bulbous nose. He was telling the truth. The part he left out was that both of those conversations had happened after Queen Elsa's coronation and the freeze.

The question Vilrun didn't ask, and that Oslin didn't answer, was how Queen Elsa's ice storm had affected him personally. His son was dead because of the queen. Already ailing with a lung infection, his son didn't survive the cold snap; they hadn't had firewood stacked in the summertime. Oslin hadn't even been there when he died. He'd accompanied Lord Councilor Bern and Lieutenant Almar on the rescue party when they found the queen in that palace of ice up the North Mountain. He'd helped save her life at the same time she'd killed his son. His presence on that excursion lent a sheen of sincerity to his declaration of loyalty for the queen.

"Approved?" Captain Torvin suggested. When Vilrun nodded, Torvin added Oslin's name to the list of guardsmen who could serve as bodyguards for the queen and princess.

The door opened and Lieutenant Almar came in. In his mid-thirties and of middle height, he'd devoted his life to his career. He was the squadron leader for the Castle Guards who would form the corps of bodyguards. "I beg your pardon at the interruption, but Princess Anna is missing."

~###~

Anna didn't sleep very well that night, nightmares of Prince Hans kept breaking in. She got out of bed earlier than usual and slipped out of the castle's open gates, wondering how long it would be before Elsa ordered them closed against the threats they'd discussed at yesterday's council meeting. At the back of her mind was the fear that this would be the last time she would be able to simply go where she pleased. She wanted to tell Kristoff that Hans was dead and listen to him tell her that there wasn't anything to worry about; Hans wouldn't come back and haunt her.

The marketplace was all but deserted. There was no one in the ice shed. Kristoff's sled was gone. Again, he'd left without any warning and she had no idea when he would come back. She recalled her resolve from the other day to let Kristoff be independent and refused to let herself be irritated.

"Good morning, Princess. If you're looking for Kristoff, they've gone to put the freeze lines in the lakes." It was Tyra, the flower girl she'd met two days ago.

Anna turned. "Good morning, Tyra. Are you still here?"

"Some days I don't mind a chance to be out of the house," Tyra said. "I don't think I'll sell much today, but it's quieter here than at home."

"What are freeze lines?" Anna asked.

"They're the cutting guides they put in the water before the hard freeze sets in. You know the ice blocks have to be perfectly square or they can't stack a full load. That's what the freeze lines are for," Tyra said.

"I didn't know that," Anna said. Ice harvesting was Kristoff's life, and she'd never asked him one question about what he did other than to whine about when he was coming back.

"It doesn't take them long, just a week or so," Tyra said.

"How long have you been selling flowers, Tyra?" Anna asked. She may as well get to know her, since she was planning to be godmother to all her children, including that daughter who would be named Anna.

Tyra was happy to have someone to talk to. They talked about flowers, Kristoff, Tyra's family, winter, Kristoff again, dresses, being a princess, the farm Tyra used to live on before her father's accident, more about Kristoff, life in the village, life in the castle, and Kristoff. Anna was giggling and happy and wishing she'd met Tyra years ago. While it was wonderful to have a sister again, Elsa was not the chatty type. Tyra could talk about a brick and make it interesting.

"Will you and the queen come to the village Christmas party this year?" Tyra asked. "I sell holly and mistletoe, and there's music and dancing and food in the Village Green. It's the happiest day of the winter."

"I would love that! The castle was always somber and quiet on Christmas. We would light a candle for the Christ child at morning services, and then spend the rest of the day waiting for the feast in the evening," Anna said.

"Then you have to come! Do you dance?" Tyra asked.

"Yes!" And they talked for another hour about dancing. Then they walked to the bakery together and bought currant rolls.

They linked arms and were strolling through the streets when Anna heard someone say, "Your Highness." The voice was flat with displeasure.

"Oh. Hello Captain Torvin," Anna said. Captain Torvin was accompanied by four other Castle Guards. Anna swallowed her last bite of currant roll and licked the jam off her thumb.

"There was some concern about your disappearance," Torvin said.

"I didn't mean to be gone so long," Anna offered.

Torvin merely looked more disapproving.

Anna hugged Tyra and whispered in her ear, "I have to go. It was lovely to talk to you. We'll have to see each other again soon."

Tyra hugged her back. "Yes, of course."

Anna tried to look appropriately remorseful to appease Captain Torvin as they escorted her back to the castle, but she couldn't do it. Her steps were bouncing and she couldn't keep from smiling. She'd kept her resolve to put Kristoff's needs ahead of her own and it had resulted in a surge of emotional strength that had made it sincere instead of reluctant. She was genuinely happy that he liked what he did for a living and that he had a friend like Tyra. Her heart had learned to let Kristoff be Kristoff after all. She hadn't expected that to make her so happy. Olaf would be proud of her and she couldn't wait to tell him.

She hadn't gotten to talk about Prince Hans and it didn't even matter anymore. He was dead and she was done with him. True love was such a strong feeling, nothing at all like the needy weakness that had left her vulnerable to Hans' manipulation.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note: Short chapter; the next one is longer. The posting schedule is Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Thank you to the readers who leave reviews. That makes my day. :)<strong>


	8. Chapter 8 - Up in the Mountains

**Author Note: I make a minor change to the movie canon in this chapter. The opening song in "Frozen" shows the other ice harvesters with horses. I gave them all a reindeer instead. I wanted Kristoff to really fit in with these guys.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8 – Up in the Mountains<strong>

Half a day's ride from Arendelle Village, Lito and Hatch caught up with Kristoff and Sven at the ice harvester shack below the snowline. The shacks were unsteady affairs, built from rough-planed logs with roofs pitched steeply enough to let the snow slide off. They had a fireplace, a few shelves for a cast iron frying pan and stew pot, and hay to sleep on. This one leaned up against a lodgepole pine, which kept it upright and sheltered it from the heaviest snow in the wintertime. Most of the shacks lost a wall or part of a roof every winter. The ice harvesters propped them back up in the spring and kept using them.

Kristoff was stirring rabbit stew over the fire when he saw Lito's wheeled sled pull up in the early darkness of a fall evening. Lito unharnessed Hatch and they both ambled in. Hatch and Sven bellowed a greeting and started pawing and head butting each other until Kristoff punched Sven in the shoulder and told him to cut it out before he knocked down a wall.

"Hey," Kristoff said.

"Hey. Your princess let you come this time, huh?" Lito said. Black-haired and blue-eyed, Lito was the only ice harvester who managed to be skinny. The rest of them were either broad-shouldered or barrel-chested, or both. Lito made up for it with muscles like whipcord and a chip on his shoulder about his size.

"I didn't tell her I was leaving. And she's not my princess," Kristoff said, tasting the stew.

"Other way round, is it? She's got you bought and paid for," Lito said, with a jerk of his thumb towards Kristoff's blue sled with the white painted trim, by far the nicest any of them owned.

"Shut up," Kristoff said pleasantly. "Got any salt? The stash here is out."

Lito retrieved a bag of salt from his sled while Kristoff dished rabbit stew into wooden bowls.

"Seen anyone else on their way up?" Kristoff asked, sprinkling on the salt and fishing out the carrots in the stew to eat first. When the temperature dropped below a certain point for a few days, and the air began to smell like winter, the ice harvesters made their ways by ones and twos to the lakes to prep things before the hard freezes started. By the end of the week, a couple dozen of them would be there.

"Bagley and Duff left yesterday. Hile's wife is going to have a baby any moment now, so he'll be a few days behind us," Lito said. "Duff still mad at you for taking the castle's business from him?"

Kristoff shrugged. "I traded him six of my best customers. He'll get over it. Not like I could give him the castle back anyway, queen's orders and all. How's Nick?"

"Leg kind of healed. Got a bad limp. Probably won't be up to the lakes this winter," Lito said. "Seen Pavi?"

"Runner on his sled splintered. Said to say he'll take the first windrow shift this winter if he can't get up here in time to help with the freeze lines," Kristoff answered.

Lito grunted. "Sure he will. Pavi's equipment is always broken until it's time to haul a payload. Noticed?"

"Yep," said Kristoff. "Saw some Hamarians at the waterfront in Arendelle Village a few days ago. Dressed like ice harvesters, but not. Seen anyone on the mountain who doesn't belong?"

"Sure did, but they didn't bother me and I didn't bother them," Lito answered. "Headed up Swayback Ridge on horses, pulling a wagon."

"Mmm," said Kristoff.

Sven dropped his big head over Kristoff's shoulder and pointedly yawned. They finished off the stew and went to sleep.

~###~

The next day, Kristoff and Lito reached Pebble Lake by mid-morning. They'd seen Hoff and Roark headed east towards Green Lake. They'd waved and kept going. The temperature was still above freezing, but not by much. Kristoff guessed they'd see snow up here before the end of the week. Bagley and Duff were already working the freeze lines on the south end of the lake. Kristoff and Lito drove around to the north end and unhitched their wheeled sleds.

"You want fore side or down side?" Lito offered.

"I'll take down side," Kristoff said. He pulled a rawhide mallet from his gear and tossed Sven the bag of wooden stakes for him carry to the down side of the lake.

Kristoff got in place and waited. Pebble Lake was slushy with cold. The freeze line snapped taut as he heard Lito call, "fore!" from the other side of the lake. Kristoff wove the knot into the anchor line, set the stake for Sven to steady, and drove it into the ground with two swings of his mallet. "And down!" he yelled back as he finished.

There was a pause as Lito readied the next freeze line and yelled "fore!" as it went taut. Kristoff wove the knot into the next anchor line and drove it into the ground. "And down!" He and Lito fell into a steady rhythm of work that ate up the hours. They stopped to eat when Duff said the fishing baskets were full. Kristoff got the fire going while Duff and Lito cleaned the fish. Sven, Rolf, Fleas and Hatch pulled twigs off a bush and pawed up some brown grass to eat.

"We're splitting up Nick's route until he can get back up to the lakes," Duff said as they ate. "You want Farrup Hamlet and Tunnel Hollow?"

"I can take Farrup Hamlet," Kristoff answered. "But if I take Tunnel Hollow too, I won't have enough ice left to sell in the marketplace."

"Most of us would consider that a bonus," Lito observed.

"I like the marketplace," Kristoff answered. The ice shed at the marketplace was one of the scattered locations that Kristoff called a home, even though he only spent a few days there at a time.

"I'll take Tunnel Hollow," Lito said with a shrug, sucking on a fish bone.

After they finished freeze lining Pebble Lake, it was nearly dark. The four of them hitched up their reindeer and drove their sleds to Big Lake, where a bonfire was already burning. Lito got his sling out and killed four squirrels on the way to add to the stewpot. The other ice harvesters started filtering in from the other lakes. No one ever really planned it, but they were used to gathering at Big Lake in the evenings and pooling their food. Kristoff told Sven to get the bag of potatoes out of the sled and take it to the stew pot.

"You bring 'em, you peel 'em," Zak told Sven when he dropped the potato bag.

Sven snorted at him.

"Then get Kristoff. He's got fingers," Zak answered.

Sven fetched Kristoff, stole a carrot from the pile and ambled off to the other reindeer for hay and a bull session.

Kristoff sat down on a rock and started peeling potatoes, chopping them and tossing them into the stew pot where Zak had already dumped the onions. Others were drawn to the crackling fire, the smell of squirrel stew, and the company. Roark, the one who had taught Kristoff to play a lute and sing, got his lute out. "Harmonize with me, Kristoff," Roark told him as he sat down on the rock next to him and started strumming a ballad about ice and stars while the stew cooked. The smoke wound its way upward into the starry sky as the ice harvesters finished another day in the mountains.

~###~

A couple days later, the freeze lines were mostly set. Kristoff stayed at Big Lake that day, splicing freeze lines that had broken in the past season and watching the snowline creep closer to their lakes. The shack at Big Lake housed the swing saw that they used to cross cut the blocks. At the other lakes, they had to use augurs and axes since the swing saw was too big to move around. They'd all chipped in the money to buy the parts, but Zak had built the swing saw and he wouldn't let anyone else maintain it. He had the pendulum mechanism apart, oiling the gears.

"Is the boom going to last another year?" Kristoff asked him.

"I'm whittling another one. I'll get it in before we need it," Zak replied.

Kristoff turned as he heard someone come up behind them. "Hile! Well?"

Hile grinned. "Got a new son. Fat baby. Good yell. Mona's fine."

Kristoff slapped him on the back while Zak congratulated him.

"Hey, Kristoff. Check if my crampons got stashed on that shelf, would you? I might have left them up there when I was looking for another rope and ice axe," Bagley said, walking up with Duff, Roark and a bag of ice climbing gear.

Kristoff stepped past the area where Zak had the swing saw's gears laid out, jumped, caught the swing saw crossbar above his head and pulled himself up to sit on it.

"You're an idiot," Zak commented.

"I wouldn't do that if you had the blade in place," Kristoff replied. He reached back to the high shelf and jerked off everything he could reach and started tossing things down. "Old harness, empty barrel that smells like salt pork, hilt with no knife blade, pile of broken freeze line anchors, no usable anything up here," he told Bagley. "Want this old bear trap?"

"Yeah, let's see," said Bagley. Kristoff tossed him the sprung trap. He pushed down the spring mechanism and let it go. It flew so high on the snap that Kristoff recoiled, pulling his feet out of the way.

"You set off a bear trap? Now who's the idiot? You nearly took my foot off!" Kristoff said from where he was crouched on the crossbar.

"Just wanted to see if the spring was still good," Bagley said. "I can use it. I figured it would take more than a bear trap to hurt you, hero man. Rescued royalty lately?" He got out his knife and started unscrewing the trap mechanism to get at the parts.

"Not this week, but I talk to a snowman and he talks back," Kristoff said, jumping down from the crossbar.

"Someday I want to meet that snowman," Bagley said.

"And you talk to rocks," Duff added. "You've got some weird friends, man."

"Yeah, they're pretty blown over by you guys too," Kristoff said.

They all laughed. "Think you could talk the queen into coming up and freezing a lake for us? Sure would be nice to harvest one before the temperatures get below freezing," Hile said.

"Not a chance," Kristoff said.

"Is it real ice that she makes?" Zak asked.

"Near as I can tell," Kristoff said. "I haven't asked her to make an ice block just so I can see how it fractures when I take an ax to it or taste it when it melts, though."

"Do you think she would if you asked her?" Bagley suggested.

"Nah. She doesn't like ice," Kristoff answered.

"Weird," Hile said.

~###~

Kristoff and Lito were riding their reindeer around the far side of Big Lake to check the freeze line anchors when Kristoff saw something that puzzled him. He swung down off Sven and studied the ground. It frosted at night, but the days were still warm enough to melt the frost and make the ground muddy. The mud held the impression of wagon tracks, several of them, deep enough to show they'd been carrying a heavy load.

"Why are there wagon wheel tracks headed to Hidden Lake?" he asked Lito. Hidden Lake was only an hour by reindeer from Big Lake, but they couldn't harvest it because the banks were too steep to pull out a loaded sled. Every year, Bagley talked about building a road, but so far nothing had come of it, and Hidden Lake stayed isolated despite its proximity.

"The Hamarians got bored?" Lito suggested. "I don't know."

"That's the other thing. Why are there so many Hamarians? We usually see a few of them when we're setting freeze lines, but they're all over the place this year. And it doesn't seem like they're even freeze lining their own lakes, they're just up here. What gives?"

"I haven't asked them," Lito said with a shrug.

"I'm going to follow the tracks. Come with me?" Kristoff invited.

"Sure," said Lito.

They rode Sven and Hatch up over the ridge to the bowl-shaped valley that held Hidden Lake at its bottom. At the top of the ridge dotted with pine trees, Kristoff stopped and hallooed loudly. No one yelled back so they kept going. The tracks led to one of the many hillside openings that riddled Hidden Lake Basin, where the ground was covered in footprints and hoofprints. Kristoff pulled at the dead branches that were obscuring the opening.

"Not sure you need to be doing that, friend," said someone with a Hamarian accent.

"Just curious," Kristoff said, stepping back. He'd already seen swords and spears, but not closely enough to see if Arendelle's royal crest marked them or not.

"Curiosity isn't such a good thing sometimes, you know?" the man went on. He had a dagger instead of a belt knife, and his hand rested on the hilt. More Hamarians dressed as ice harvesters were drifting out of the trees.

"Kind of a strange place to hide," Kristoff commented, backing up with Lito towards their reindeer.

"Not really your business, is it? No call for you people to be over here; you can't harvest this lake," the man said. Behind him, the other Hamarians were pulling swords and daggers. Not one of them had an ordinary belt knife.

"True that. We'll head back to our side of the mountain," Kristoff told him.

"That may be safer all around," the Hamarian agreed.

Kristoff and Lito reached Sven and Hatch and got out of there.

~###~

"I'm headed down the mountain," Kristoff told Zak and Lito. "Something's going on and the castle needs to know about it. Tell people to clear out. We're about done anyway. Those Hamarians aren't ice harvesters. Get everyone out before someone gets hurt."

"Sure, Kristoff," Zak said. "What's up?"

Kristoff shook his head while he started buckling Sven's harness into place. "I'm not sure of everything, but someone stole weapons from the castle armory and I think that's what's over the hill at Hidden Lake. Those Hamarians shouldn't be up here. We may be in for a fight."

"It's not my fight," Zak said.

"Not mine either," Kristoff answered. "I'm just going to pass on the information."

Kristoff climbed in his sled and snapped the reins. Sven took off.


	9. Chapter 9 - Threats

**Chapter 9 – Threats**

Former Councilor Gerhard was waiting for Castle Guardsman Oslin in a muddy tavern at the waterfront. It smelled of rotted wood and tobacco smoke, the din of too many people in too small a place mingling with the stench. Gerhard was nursing a tankard of ale and glaring at people who looked at him. He'd grown a full beard and was dressed in rough sailor clothes. When Oslin came in, he drew too much attention. He was dressed like the rest of them, but his short guardsman haircut marked him as someone who didn't belong here. Gerhard jerked his head towards a back room, waited for Oslin to get there and then followed him.

"Well?" Gerhard demanded.

"I've moved the weapons. And I've been assigned as Princess Anna's bodyguard instead of Queen Elsa's," Oslin said.

"That might work out. There's been a change of plans," Gerhard said.

Oslin interrupted, "My grudge is with the queen, not her sister."

"The queen is still going to die, but not her sister," Gerhard told him. "I want Anna out of there before the fighting begins. I need her alive, otherwise Hamar is going to think they can have Arendelle altogether. If she's still on the throne, Hamar can't stay in Arendelle."

"I thought you were taking care of Hamar," Oslin objected.

Oslin had gotten a lot mouthier now that Gerhard wasn't his superior officer anymore. Gerhard glared at him. "I want Anna on the throne. She's stupid and easily controlled. I need her to be the one that tells Hamar to get out after they've done what I needed them to do, for the sake of the rest of the world who only listens to royalty. Get her out of the castle. You know the caves by Tunnel Hollow? I've got one supplied and ready for her. I want her safe, comfortable and out of the way while I kill her sister and take over her country. Then she can come back and do exactly what I tell her to do. Can you get her there?"

"They don't let us leave the castle much anymore," Oslin said.

"Be creative," Gerhard suggested. He planned to launch the attack in the panic while they looked for Anna. He knew Vilrun well enough to know that he couldn't handle more than one crisis at a time. He'd be able to walk in and take over Arendelle before Vilrun could come up with a decent order for anyone to follow.

"I'm not going to stay at the cave and babysit the princess. I want to be there when the queen dies," Oslin insisted.

"Suit yourself. I've made arrangements," was all Gerhard said.

"Then what happens to me?" Oslin demanded.

"We can decorate you as a hero of Arendelle, if that's what you want," Gerhard said. He didn't really care what happened to Oslin, as long as he could get Anna for him.

"What if something goes wrong?" Oslin said.

"Don't let anything go wrong," Gerhard replied. "I don't tolerate mistakes. I'll be waiting for you by the caves at Tunnel Hollow. Get Anna there by tomorrow night."

Oslin nodded curtly and left.


	10. Chapter 10 - Weapons Report

**Chapter 10 – Weapons Report**

"Our guardsman made contact with several individuals in Arendelle who have talked with Hamarians about hiring on as soldiers," Councilor Vilrun reported to Queen Elsa. "They're offering money, weapons and training."

"Are citizens of Arendelle accepting these offers?" Elsa asked.

"Some are," Vilrun admitted. "The ones we've spoken to obviously turned it down, but all our contacts have confirmed that some are willing to take pay from Gerhard. We can't find evidence that any of them have actually gotten a weapon or promised to fight, but some are agreeing to take his money."

Elsa kept her outward calm in place, but inside she was shrinking away from their condemnation. Her own people agreed with Gerhard. She should find Gerhard and turn herself over to save her people from the coming conflict. If she really was a good queen, that's what she would do, instead of hiding behind these people who were willing to defend her because they were too naïve to accept that Gerhard was right about her.

"We don't have an accurate count of how many citizens of Arendelle have joined Gerhard, but likely not many, and they won't be trained fighters. If Gerhard is hiring mercenaries, we project his forces to number only in the hundreds. He can hire soldiers, but not leaders. He can't handle a large force on his own," Vilrun said.

"Hundreds may be all he needs," Elsa pointed out. "We only have about four dozen castle guards. The village constables aren't soldiers."

"We are considering arming the populace," Vilrun replied.

Elsa blanched at the thought. But before she could object, there were raised voices in the corridor outside of the room, and then Kristoff came in, Almar protesting loudly.

"What's with him?" Kristoff asked Elsa, pointing at Almar. He hadn't stopped to change before coming to the castle and was still in his ice harvester outfit and gray wool hat.

"He's my bodyguard," Elsa told him. "Anna and I both have bodyguards until this crisis is resolved. Please respect what Lieutenant Almar is trying to do."

"Bodyguards?" Kristoff gave Almar a long, measured look. "All right, whatever. Vilrun, have you seen those weapons in the Albion Basin recently? Because I think I know where they are now."

Vilrun stiffened, and Elsa wasn't sure if it was because of Kristoff's disrespectful familiarity, or the news about the weapons.

"We chose to leave them in place so whoever took them would continue to think his actions had been undetected," Vilrun said.

"Well, send someone to see if they're still there. There's a cave of weapons up at Hidden Lake that were hauled in by wagon, and a whole bunch of Hamarians with swords and daggers hanging around up there," Kristoff said.

"How long have they been there?" Vilrun demanded.

"How would I know? The wagon tracks were just mud, so not too long. And those people can't stay up there more than a week. It's going to start snowing in the mountain passes any day now," Kristoff said.

"They were armed? How many were there?" Vilrun asked.

"We saw about eight of them. I have no idea how many others were hiding," Kristoff said.

"Why were you up there?" Vilrun asked.

"I'm an ice harvester. Maybe you noticed? It's my job to be up there," Kristoff snapped.

Vilrun's lips pressed together in anger.

Elsa broke in. "Kristoff, we're learning that my former councilor, Gerhard, is hiring mercenary soldiers and has plans to attack Arendelle at some point. It appears that most of the soldiers are Hamarians, though their government isn't involved as far as we know. We also believe we have a traitor among the guardsmen. All of this is just starting to come together, and we appreciate any information you can add."

"So those were mercenaries at the lakes?" Kristoff said.

"Possibly," Vilrun said. "I highly doubt anyone would attempt a wintertime attack over the mountains, but they may be caching weapons and supplies until spring."

Elsa looked at Vilrun with dismay. She was beginning to suspect they'd promoted Vilrun above his level of competence. He had done a fine job as Captain of the Castle Guard, but he seemed to be flailing in the face of this crisis and her confidence in him was eroding quickly.

"If they're already on the mountaintop, it would be just as easy to come down our side of the mountain as theirs. Why wouldn't they attack in the wintertime?" Kristoff countered.

"We need more information," Vilrun said. "Kristoff, would you consider joining the Castle Guard for the duration of this crisis?"

"What? What kind of weird idea is that? I'm an ice harvester. Look, if you want information, I can get you a network of spies in the mountains that no Hamarian will ever notice," Kristoff said.

"I would prefer it if you were to take an oath of service and loyalty before we entertained your ideas," Vilrun said.

"Vilrun, if his ideas have merit, they should be considered regardless," Elsa said. "I didn't know you wanted Kristoff to join the guardsmen."

"Yeah, not going to happen anyway," Kristoff said. "I'll help you out where I can, but I'm not the guard type."

"I would think your patriotism for your country and your personal feelings for Arendelle's royalty would call you to a higher cause than your own activities," Vilrun said.

Kristoff leaned over the table at him. "You don't use Anna to manipulate me, understand? If you need help, you can ask me for it, but I don't take orders from you."

"Tell us about how you would gather information, Kristoff," Elsa said, trying to defuse them.

"Of course he's talking about himself and the other ice harvesters," Vilrun said.

"No, I was talking about a bunch of rocks with big ears," Kristoff snapped.

Vilrun flushed red. "I will not tolerate this level of disrespect. Your Majesty, I am at your disposal to continue our discussion at your convenience." He gathered up his papers and stalked out of the room.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything important," Kristoff said.

"Was that an apology? I couldn't tell," Elsa replied.

Kristoff exhaled a long sigh and dropped into a chair. "Sorry, Elsa. That guy rubs me the wrong way. He won't even admit he doesn't know what he needs to know. Do you really want me as a Castle Guard? I mean, really?"

"That took me by surprise too," Elsa said. "Although you'd be just what we need."

"So I should consider it?" Kristoff asked.

"You could," Elsa said.

"Mmm, okay, I'm done considering it. No deal. I'll help you out, you know that. But I'm not joining the guard," Kristoff said.

Elsa nodded. She had to admit she was a little disappointed. Kristoff's strength, skill and knowledge about the mountains would be invaluable. He had a tendency to disappear at inconvenient times though. If they could get him under oath and in uniform, maybe he would be more predictable.

"It's not what you're thinking, actually. I'll do whatever you need, anytime. I'm just not going to take an oath to swing a sword at someone on his orders," Kristoff said with a nod towards the door through which Vilrun had left. "I saw a couple of ice harvesters take ice saws to each other once. That's just not who I am. I'll defend myself if I have to, but I don't attack. I'm not a fighter."

"It's fine, Kristoff, really. I understand. One person isn't going to change the course of the battle anyway," Elsa said. "Vilrun is under a lot of pressure right now. Thank you for telling us what you found. It adds another piece to the puzzle."

"You're welcome. Do you need me to go back up the mountain? I told the other ice harvesters to clear out, but I can go keep an eye on things, or send a few rocks around to where they can pick up some information," Kristoff offered.

"Let me talk to the other Councilors before we decide what we need. Can you stay here for a few days?" Elsa asked.

"Okay."

"Thank you. Anna has something she's dying to show you, by the way. You can find her in the library."

"Thanks, Elsa."

Elsa leaned her head into her hands after he left. She'd wanted to ask Kristoff if they should let Gerhard win. Sometimes he listened to her and didn't shut her down as quickly as Anna did. But she'd lost her nerve.

Lieutenant Almar leaned in through the door. "Is everything all right, your Majesty?"

"Yes, Almar. I'll be a few more minutes," she answered. She still hadn't gotten used to having someone track her every move. Anna was even more upset about the situation, but they were doing what they had to do.

"Yes, your Majesty," Almar replied, and shut the door.


	11. Chapter 11 - Anna's Triumph

**Chapter 11 – Anna's Triumph**

Guardsman Oslin was standing guard outside the library where Princess Anna was reading history. She was alone, as he well knew. Soon, the queen and most of the others in the castle would turn in for the night, and then he was leaving with the princess. It was a day earlier than Gerhard's timeline, but after this shift, he wasn't scheduled as her bodyguard for two more days. Tonight was his best chance.

That ice harvester that Princess Anna tolerated was coming down the corridor. "Are you Anna's bodyguard?" the ice harvester asked him. "She's in there?"

"She's asked not to be disturbed," Oslin replied, hoping to get rid of him.

"How about I talk to her instead of disturb her?"

The library door swung open and Anna called out, "Kristoff, you're back! Come here!"

The man had the temerity to wave at him as he went into the library.

~###~

"You have a bodyguard, huh?" Kristoff said.

"Ick, right? He does his best not to bother me. Did you get the freeze lines done?" Anna asked. She was wearing a plain cream-colored dress with red trim and a short wool jacket against the fall chill. There was a fire in the fireplace, but its warmth wasn't enough to fill a room as cavernous as the library. Her red braids bounced gently at the spring in her step.

"How did you know about freeze lines?" Kristoff asked. He was still dressed in his rough, warm ice harvester gear, and he pushed up his sleeves against the heat of the fire in the library.

"Tyra told me. Isn't she wonderful? I just love Tyra, don't you? Don't answer that. We talked all day and then the Castle Guards showed up and now I can't go anywhere anymore." Anna interrupted her excitement to sigh. Then she flipped right back into excitement. "I had such a busy week too! The second best bit of good news is that Lingarth is going to sell us some shiploads of grain, and everyone is really excited about that. Someone anonymous gave us a lot of money to help pay for it, and then we're giving Lingarth a whole bunch of stone from the wing of the castle we tore down. The grain should be here by Christmas.

"But the most wonderful good news is the trade agreement! I got to help negotiate the trade agreement with Lord Nolan of Lingarth. You'll never believe how wonderful it was! Come see!" Anna ordered Kristoff, pulling him to the heavy, walnut table where she'd laid out the trade agreement with Lingarth. "Look! I signed it! Look!"

Kristoff looked at the parchment and back at her.

"Look! My name is on it! Look at my name! I signed as Arendelle's representative! I mean, of course Elsa was in the room, but I'm the one who signed it! How wonderful is that?" Anna was dancing around the room, squealing with all the excitement she'd had to repress while everyone else was still around and being so serious.

It took him the longest time, but at last he put his finger on Anna's name. "There."

"Yes!" She grabbed his arm and shook it. "Can you believe? Me? And guess what else I did? I suggested something, and it was such a good idea it actually became part of the trade agreement, and Gustav didn't even have to coach me to come up with it! It's so important that it has to be affirmatively invoked; I keep forgetting to ask Gustav what that means, but doesn't it sound important? Look! It's written right there in that paragraph! Look! Isn't that wonderful!" Anna stabbed her finger at the document.

Kristoff looked uncertainly at the document and back at Anna.

"It's right there!" she insisted.

He looked at the trade agreement again, but she could see that his eyes were wandering over it without reading it. "Kristoff!" she howled in frustration.

"Anna, I can't read," he said.

Anna stopped dancing around. "Wait, what?"

"Who was ever going to teach a thrown away kid like me how to read?" Kristoff said, running his hand through his hair and looking away. "I think it's great you're so smart. I really do." He shrugged.

"But you found my name."

"I just looked for the prettiest design on the parchment and figured that was your name."

"Oh." Anna had been going a million miles a minute just a second ago and she couldn't bring all that excitement to a stop so quickly. Instead, she channeled it into this new information and instantly came up with the solution. "I'll teach you to read!"

"Anna!" he protested.

"No, really, sit down. Sit down right now!" Anna remembered her resolve to let Kristoff run his own life. She wasn't going to violate it unless he wasn't willing to admit that she knew what was best for him sometimes, like now. She shoved him down onto a bench.

He folded his arms on the table and put his head down with a long sigh.

"Oh, quit acting like it's painful," she scolded him, sitting next to him with a slate and chalk. "Watch me write. This is your name." She printed his name in block letters. "Letters have sounds." She sounded out his name. "Now, this is Olaf's name." She printed out Olaf's name. "See how you have the same letter at the end? It's because you have the same sound at the end."

In spite of himself, Kristoff was watching what she was doing. He picked up the end of her braid and folded it between his hands, then scooted closer so that his arm pressed against hers. When she didn't pull back, he leaned over the slate. She stayed quiet long enough for him to study what she'd written. Finally, he said, "Write the word fish."

She wrote it. "Same sound, so it's the same letter."

"How come there are two of them in my name and only one in Olaf's name and in fish?" he asked.

"Reading is weird like that sometimes. But once you know all the letters and their sounds, you can read," Anna said.

"Seriously, that's all I'd have to do? How many letters are there?" Kristoff asked.

"Twenty-six."

"That's all? I learn twenty-six things and I can read and write?"

"Pretty much," Anna said, conveniently leaving out all the reading and writing that didn't follow easy rules.

"I can do that! Write your name," he said.

Anna ended up writing out all their names, and picking out the letters and sounds they had in common. She and Kristoff spent hours together and they didn't fight once.

~###~

Guardsman Riks approached Oslin in the corridor. The carpet running down the middle of the polished wood floor absorbed the sound of his footsteps. "Is Princess Anna still in there?"

"Yes," Oslin said.

Riks shrugged. "I'm your relief. Check out with Lieutenant Almar and get some sleep."

"I can take a few more hours," Oslin said, desperate not to let this opportunity slip past him. If only that ice harvester had left at a decent time, he and the princess would be halfway up the mountain by now.

"Why would you do that?" Riks said. "I'm on duty now."

"That ice harvester is still in there," Oslin said.

"You mean Kristoff? Do they need a chaperone?" Riks asked.

"Yes. He should have left hours ago. You escort him out and I'll see to the princess," Oslin said, winding up with tension while his plans fell apart.

"Is something wrong?' Riks asked suspiciously. "You seem tense."

Oslin panicked. "Nothing at all. Good night."

He walked away quickly without looking back. He wasn't on duty tomorrow, but he'd have to find a way to make something work. The queen was going to pay for what she'd done to his son.


	12. Chapter 12 - A Reading Lesson

**Author Note: You know that scene in the movie when Anna throws a snowball at Marshmallow? Did you notice she throws with her left hand?**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12 – A Reading Lesson<strong>

Kristoff slept in the castle stable that night, and didn't argue with Sven when he said he wanted to go the shed in the marketplace this morning. The castle stable was overcrowded and claustrophobic, at least for a couple of people who almost never slept indoors.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll take you right over, okay buddy?" Kristoff asked.

Sven agreed to be patient, as long as Kristoff didn't take too long.

He ate as much breakfast as Gerda would give him. "You know, you're the real reason there will be food shortages this winter," Gerda told him as she put three more sausages on his plate. He hadn't been able to answer because his mouth was full of hot, buttered biscuit.

After cleaning up, Kristoff changed into a blue shirt. He only owned two shirts besides his ice harvester gear, and both of them were blue. He wrapped his burgundy sash around his waist again, tucking in the sheath for his belt knife. Finally, he hitched up his wheeled sled and drove Sven over to the ice shed.

The merchants were gone, but several stonemasons were in the marketplace, picking through the huge pile of stone salvaged when the north wing of the castle was torn down. They were designing an archway leading from the marketplace into the adjacent Village Green and town square. He was sure it would be impressive once it was finished, but for now it was just a pile of stone surrounded by big men with sketches and tools. There was another pile of stone over by the foodsellers that was going to become counters and partitions. A new bench was already finished overlooking the harbor. That one wing of the castle had produced so much stone that Arendelle was having trouble absorbing it all.

Kristoff pitched some hay for Sven and secured his tools. "You mind if I go back over to the castle?" he asked.

Sven gave him a sly look.

"I'm learning to read," Kristoff said primly, "that's all there is to it."

_Would you want another lesson so soon if Vilrun was teaching you?_ Kristoff asked in his Sven voice.

"Keep that up and I'll send Thunder over to teach you how to wear a saddle," Kristoff threatened.

_Next she'll be teaching you how to knit_, Sven went on.

"She can teach me anything she wants, just as long as I get to sit by her," Kristoff said.

_Enjoy yourself, brother_, Sven said, with a twist on the last word.

"Oh, now you're just being mean," Kristoff answered. He gave Sven's head a friendly shove and left.

~###~

Kristoff found Anna in her sitting room, but she walked them to the library where there was a bigger table to work on and a pile of books to read. She had the same short jacket she'd worn yesterday buttoned up over a dress the color of moss that skimmed her slender form, falling short enough that Kristoff could see her ankles. Kristoff kept puzzling over what was so different about her, and finally decided it was because she was busy. She had history to learn and trade agreements to negotiate. He went from worrying that she'd try to keep him out of the mountains to worrying that she wouldn't have enough time for him when he did come back. He decided to monopolize her entire day, just to prove that he could.

Kristoff had built his life on the conclusion that reindeers are better than people, and he would never let himself need or trust anyone besides Sven. The draw he felt towards Anna upset his tidy worldview, and he never knew how to react. Being around her was a tug of war inside his heart. He craved her presence, the smell of her hair, the sound of her voice, the way she smacked his arm when he said something deliberately outrageous in the hopes that she'd hit him, touch him. And then the desperate urge to run away before he needed her too much yanked on the rope and he lost the tug of war and fled back to the mountains.

They spent most of the day in the library together, leaving for a walk around the castle grounds around midday after lunch. It was too strange to have a uniformed guard following them, so they went back to the library, where at least the guard stayed outside the door. The hours passed quickly. This new, busy Anna didn't quarrel with him and try to order him around. He'd thought that would make it easier to spend time with her, but it made it harder. Now he couldn't keep himself from wondering what it would be like to run his fingers along her delicate jawline and brush his thumb across those soft lips and freckled cheeks.

She had to explain everything for him at least three times. He let her think it was because he was thick-headed rather than admit that he was watching her mouth so closely he couldn't pay any attention to what she was saying. If he kissed her, would she kiss him back? Or would she be angry he wasn't acting like a brother and have her bodyguard throw him out? Spending an entire day with her unsettled him badly. He wouldn't kiss her because he couldn't stand the thought of making her angry, but he couldn't spend another day with her because he couldn't stand the thought of not kissing her. He hoped Elsa would send him back up in the mountains tomorrow where he could spy on Hamarians and get this fog out of his head. He opened the library window and took a deep breath of cool fall air.

As evening fell, she copied a sentence onto a slate. "Write this. Just try to make the letters look like I did."

He picked up the chalk, set it on the slate and then stopped. "As much as I like having you lean over my shoulder, I can't concentrate when you do that."

"Okay," Anna said, jumping away. "I'll go get us something from the kitchen while you work on it. Do you want carrots?"

"Bread," he said.

"I thought your favorite food was carrots," Anna said.

"I can live on carrots," Kristoff corrected her, "but bread," he shrugged. How to describe it so that someone like Anna could understand? You only got bread if you had a mother and a home. One of the few memories he had of his mother was the way the house smelled of bread. Yeast starts had to have a stable place to grow. Ovens stayed in one location. Bread had to sit quietly all day to raise. There was none of that in his itinerant life strung among the shacks the ice harvesters used. He could eat what the land provided and do just fine, but bread suggested a home and someone to look out for him. "I really like bread," was all he said.

"Okay," Anna said. "Maybe they have currant rolls!" She zipped to the door and called out, "Hi, Gerry, want to walk me to the kitchens?"

"Of course, your Highness," Gerry replied with a salute. He wore the black-belted, green coat and tall hat of the Castle Guardsmen with some flair, and gave the princess a rakish grin as he turned to follow her.

Kristoff narrowed his eyes as he watched them leave. They should only assign much older men as Anna's bodyguard. That man who had been at the door last night was about the right age, and sour as a lemon. She didn't need a young, handsome, friendly bodyguard.

Kristoff hunched up over the slate and concentrated. Slowly, he traced the lines, trying to make his letters look just like the ones Anna drew so quickly and easily. The line shook, and stopped and started in the wrong places.

"Try using your other hand," Elsa said.

Kristoff jumped, broke the chalk and burst out, "Yeesh, Elsa! Make some noise when you come in the room!"

Where Anna would have crowed in delight at startling him, Elsa looked genuinely dismayed. "I'm sorry," she said. She was wearing a laced maroon bodice and skirt over a long-sleeved white blouse with white embroidered gloves.

"It's all right, no problem," he said, recovering his composure. "You just surprised me is all."

Elsa handed him a new piece of chalk. "Try your other hand."

"That matters?" Kristoff said.

"Anna writes with her left hand, but not many people do. Try your right hand," Elsa said. She sat on the edge of the table next to him.

Kristoff tried it. The letter was markedly more legible. He wrote another letter. "Hey, this is faster too!" Kristoff laboriously copied the entire sentence that Anna had assigned him.

Anna came back in with a basket of currant rolls as Gerry shut the library door behind her. "Elsa! Good to see you!" She set the rolls down in front of Kristoff and hugged Elsa. "Is there anything you need to tell us?"

"Well, no, we didn't make any decisions today. I thought I'd come visit is all," said Elsa.

"And we're so glad you did," Anna said.

"Yeah, your sister has been running me ragged. Maybe now I can take a break," Kristoff said, taking a currant roll and stretching his long legs out under the table. Having Elsa around broke the tension he was feeling after spending an entire day with Anna and he relaxed.

Elsa took off her gloves and set them on the table, helping herself to a currant roll. "Enjoy it while you can. I think we are going to need you to help us find out what the Hamarians are up to. Vilrun is still resisting your idea, but we really don't have any other way to learn what we need to know."

"You told him that when I said rocks with big ears could help us out, I wasn't just being mouthy, right?" Kristoff said, starting on his second currant roll.

"I told him, but I don't think he believed me," Elsa said.

"The part about the rocks with ears or the part about not being mouthy?" Kristoff asked.

"Both," said Elsa.

Kristoff blinked big, innocent brown eyes in her direction. Anna slugged him in the shoulder on Elsa's behalf and he pretended it hurt.

"He can have a conversation with a snowman but he doesn't think rocks can talk?" Anna asked, licking currant jam off her fingers.

"Imagine that," Elsa said.

~###~

In the corridor, Oslin walked past Guardsmen Gerry and Lon, giving them a nod as Queen Elsa's bodyguard, Lon, returned a salute. He had his sword tucked into the scabbard, and a shorter dagger on his other hip. It was so nice of them to pinpoint the location of the queen and princess for him. He'd heard from the kitchen staff that the ice harvester had driven away that morning.

Oslin didn't trust Gerhard when he said he wouldn't have to stay with the princess up by Tunnel Hollow. He wanted to be there when the queen died, so he'd made his own plans to kill the queen at the same time he took her sister. Things were going to work out perfectly after all.

Outside, Oslin shucked off his coat and stuffed it down into a bush. Under the cover of darkness, he climbed the stone and vine to the second level of the castle and shimmied his way over to the library window. Silently, he was through the open window and crouching behind the couch under the window before they even knew he was there. Then he cursed his luck to hear the ice harvester's voice. That man was a confounded nuisance. He gathered himself to get back out at his first opportunity. He'd have to take the princess from her room late tonight. Regardless of what Gerhard said, he wasn't going to miss being back here when the queen died.

Anna came over to shut the window. Oslin looked up into her surprised face and realized his plans were about to change again.


	13. Chapter 13 - Fighting Ice

**TRIGGER WARNING: There is a suicide attempt of sorts in this chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13 – Fighting Ice<strong>

"It's cold in here. Why did you open the window?" Anna asked, tugging her short green jacket closed and doing up the gold buttons.

"It's stuffy," Kristoff objected. "That fire is putting out a lot of heat."

"Not enough for me," Anna said. "Here, write 'cold' now." She took the chalk out of his hand and wrote 'cold' on his slate while he ate a fourth currant roll.

"Elsa, show me how to write 'hot,'" Kristoff said, offering her the chalk. "You break the tie. Is the room cold or hot?"

"You'd get a better answer from Olaf. I don't notice heat or cold," Elsa said.

"You don't?" Kristoff asked in astonishment. "Is that why you wear long sleeves all summer?"

"I suppose. It's not really something I think about anymore," Elsa said, printing 'hot' on the slate.

"I get used to whatever the weather is because I'm outdoors so much. Is it like that?" Kristoff pressed.

Elsa shrank back a bit at being questioned about how she was different. "No, I would hear people talking about being hot or cold and realized I never could tell which one I was feeling. I think I don't feel it at all."

"So if you're outdoors in the winter, you don't shiver or have your fingers get red and stiff? And in the summertime, you don't feel the waves of heat from the sun?" Kristoff asked.

"I don't know how to explain what I don't feel. It's just not there," Elsa said, sliding off the table and stepping back. She'd have to reach around Kristoff to get her gloves, so she put her hands behind her back instead.

"I'm going to put another log on the fire and shut the window," Anna announced.

"That would be so convenient," Kristoff said thoughtfully, brushing his shaggy, blonde bangs out of his eyes and lacing his fingers behind his head, stretching out.

"Perhaps sometimes," Elsa said. In reality, it was just one more way she wasn't like anyone around her. Normal people made a lot of effort to either warm up or cool down, and she was left out, not purposely, but because she was missing parts of herself that everyone else took for granted.

"Not a snowflake or a sound out of you, queen," said a voice.

Puzzled, Elsa looked over and went pale with shock. Oslin was clutching Anna's face, muffling her mouth so she couldn't make a sound, holding a long dagger to her throat. Her eyes were huge with horror. Elsa clenched her fists, knowing that if she tried to rescue Anna, she risked striking her with magic.

"You move, she dies," Oslin said to Kristoff, dragging Anna along as he cautiously made his way towards the door.

Kristoff didn't even twitch. "Get behind me, Elsa."

Anna collapsed. As she went totally limp, she pulled Oslin off balance and Kristoff sprang at him, belt knife appearing in his hand, shouting for the guards in the corridor. Elsa heard a meaty thunk and she screamed. In an instant Kristoff was back with Anna draped over one arm. He grabbed Elsa in the other, still yelling for Guardsmen Lon and Gerry, who had already rushed into the room. Kristoff dragged Anna and Elsa out the door into the corridor, staggering to his knees and pulling them both down to the polished wood floor with him.

Their shouts had alerted the castle and the corridor began to fill with more Castle Guards and servants.

"Kristoff, let go," Elsa pleaded. She didn't have her gloves and her hands were going off with snow sparks and ice as she tried to keep her fear from taking over. She couldn't even pull on his arm for fear of freezing it. When she leaned away from him, he held on harder. She could hear him gasping and sense the rage and terror still coursing through him and knew he had no idea what he was doing to her right now. But the corridor was full of people who were running and shouting and she was going to hurt someone.

Finally she slapped her hands flat against the wall. If she had to freeze something, better it was the castle wall than anything else. Ice thickly coated the white wainscoting and green patterned wallpaper, covered a tapestry with frost and raced down the corridor, pinching out the candles. Beneath her, frost and ice spread across the floor.

Someone finally noticed her plight. "Let me have the queen, Kristoff. You kept them safe; she's safe now. Let go of the queen. I'll take the queen." It was Bern, pulling on Kristoff's arm and talking to him quietly until he loosened his grasp enough that Elsa could twist free.

As she stood to run, Bern caught her around the waist. "You can't leave. They won't let you be alone right now. What if there's another assassin in the castle?"

Elsa was freezing the floor. Even with her hands clenched into fists, ice was spurting out.

"Here, over here." Bern led her to a window seat and pushed open the window. "There's no one down there. Fill the courtyard with ice while I get your gloves. Where are they?"

"The library table," Elsa managed to say. She leaned out the window and shot a stream of ice and snow into the courtyard. Filling the courtyard with ice and snow took the edge off her terror and she regained her composure enough to look around. Kristoff was still doubled over on the floor, Anna clutched in his grasp. Her heart broke for him, their gentle brother. He sang with reindeer, was kind to a snowman, and watched over a flower girl and a princess with equal care. And now he'd been forced to do something like this.

"Here, your Majesty." Bern held the gloves while Elsa slipped her hands in.

"What's going on in there?" she asked.

"He's still alive. They're trying to get the bleeding stopped," Bern answered. He was in a loose-fitting burgundy shirt, open at the throat. His gray eyes were serious; the full lips that smiled so easily were pressed together in concern.

Elsa nodded and hoped the man would live. Kristoff didn't need a death on his conscience, no matter how justified. Bern sat next to her on the window seat. He didn't touch her, didn't ask her questions, didn't tell her everything was fine. She drew on his calm and her breathing steadied.

Elsa was beginning to wonder if Anna was able to breathe with Kristoff holding her that tightly. Lieutenant Almar finally pried Anna away from Kristoff and walked her over. Her steps were unsteady and she still had the red prints of Oslin's fingers pressed into her cheeks. Bern stood up and Anna sat down, falling against Elsa.

"What happened?" Anna asked. "He grabbed my face. I couldn't breathe and I passed out. What happened?"

Almar answered, "We don't know why Oslin attacked you, but Kristoff stabbed him. He saved both your lives."

Captain Torvin came up behind him, walking carefully on the ice. "The blade went in just below his collarbone. It's not a mortal wound. We're searching the castle for accomplices."

"Will Kristoff be all right?" Anna asked. Kristoff was sitting on the frozen floor with a Castle Guard next to him.

"It's a shock the first time you put your knife into another person. Guardsman Riks has killed in the line of duty. He'll stay with Kristoff," Torvin said.

"Oslin was one of our bodyguards, Torvin," Elsa said. The ice was still spreading, though more slowly now. Rows of icicles reached down from the ceiling.

"I know, your Majesty." His voice was thick with self-reproach.

A hoarse cry broke from Kristoff. He was looking at Riks, not at them, but Elsa saw and recognized the expression on his face. It was the shock and horror she always felt about her ice, about the potential she had to destroy. Kristoff had refused to join the Castle Guard because he wasn't the sort to attack anyone, and then he'd found out he was that sort after all. She'd done that to him. If she didn't exist, he wouldn't have been in that situation, and now he would always have it to haunt him.

She'd sworn she'd never hurt her sister, then she'd done it. She'd sworn she'd never make another mistake, then she'd done it. She'd sworn she'd never hurt her country, then she'd done it. She'd sworn nothing like that would ever happen again, and it was happening right now. Elsa lived in the freakish horror of not being able to control how bad she could be, how much damage she could cause. And she'd just dragged Kristoff into the nightmare of not being able to set a limit on the terrible things you could do.

That opened the door to her demons and the guilt for everything wrong in Arendelle began to crush her. Her people were hungry this winter because she'd killed their crops; Gerhard was going to attack and people were going to die; Kristoff had nearly killed someone; Oslin hated her enough to threaten her sister; and every detail she'd heard from her Councilors about the effects of her coronation storm began echoing in her head.

"Elsa! Stop it!" Anna was shaking her. A tornado of snow went whipping through the corridor, spinning down onto Elsa.

Elsa shook off Anna and ran. They would follow her. She turned and blew out a wall of ice that blocked the corridor, trapping all of them on the other side. She ran down the staircase and turned down one corridor and then another, but she knew she couldn't leave the castle. Anna would follow her, they would all follow her, and something even more terrible would happen to them. She had to get away from them to protect them from herself, but she couldn't go anywhere without making things worse. The feeling of being trapped suddenly morphed into a real trap. Ice, four feet thick, sprang up behind her and ahead of her, then encased her in a ceiling and walls. She stopped trying to run and relaxed into the safety of her ice tomb. They couldn't get to her now, those good people who didn't understand that she wasn't like them and never could be.

She needed a way to stop existing; if she could stop existing, everyone would be so much better off. She didn't want to die because that would make Anna sad; she needed a way to obliterate herself so thoroughly that no one even remembered she'd ever existed.

The ice grew inward.

~###~

The snow tornado followed Elsa as she ran down the corridor. Anna, still weak from her ordeal, staggered and fell on the icy floor. Bern stopped to help her up, and that gave Elsa enough time to freeze a wall across the corridor between them. Anna recoiled. There was something malevolent flowing off the ice. As much as Anna wanted to believe that Elsa had control of the ice, she knew that the ice had a life of its own sometimes. It could break through and take over when Elsa's intensity overwhelmed her. This evil ice could do what Oslin had failed to do.

"We're not getting past that ice, let's go by the back stairs." Bern grabbed Anna's arm and they went skidding down the icy corridor together towards the stairs used by the servants. Three guardsmen came with them as the corridor erupted into a crisis again.

"Tell the rest of them to stay here!" Anna insisted. "They'll scare her off!"

Captain Torvin reigned in the rest of the Castle Guards, and only the five of them went dashing down the back stairs and scattered, looking for the queen. The sheer size of the castle worked against them as they had miles of corridors to search. Anna could only hope she hadn't left the castle or they might never find her. She wasn't in the throne room. Two of the guardsmen were headed down the south corridor, checking rooms and parlors. Anna and Bern ran into the ballroom, which was as empty as everywhere else they'd been.

"Back this way! We haven't checked the portrait gallery!" Anna gasped, turning Bern around. She still needed to hang onto his arm to keep from falling. The panic was pounding in her blood so strongly that it echoed in her ears, layer on layer of Oslin's threat, her own collapse, Kristoff's desperate action, and now Elsa's flight. Anna fought to keep going, running hard from the events of the last few minutes.

They heard Gustav shouting past the portrait gallery and Bern shouted back. Gustav came around the corner and nearly collided with them, hanging onto the corner to stop himself.

"Where is she?" Bern demanded.

Gustav looked wild around the eyes. He pointed back the way he had come. "She's that way. Ice. What's going on?"

"Assassination attempt," Bern said, sprinting past him and pulling Anna along. The guardsmen had heard the shouts and converged on them.

"Assassination? She's killing herself!" Gustav said, following them. His legs were longer, but he wasn't as fast as Bern and he fell behind.

Anna and Bern came to a stop around the corner. An immense cube of ice filled the corridor, brooding maliciously over its prisoner. The thick ice walls distorted Elsa's still form into a broken shape the color of old blood in her maroon dress.

"Can she even breathe in there?" Bern asked, pressing his forehead and hands against the ice. "Elsa," he whispered, "my queen."

Anna shoved her panic away. Elsa needed her, and Elsa's needs came first. Strength surged through her and she put her hands flat against the ice tomb, pitting her true love against Elsa's self-hatred. This was Anna's magic, but it came through her, not from her. Anna oriented herself to the source and channeled the power coursing through her towards her sister. Elsa had to melt the ice herself, just like she had on the fjord, but Anna could give her the love to do it, just like she had on the fjord.

"Connect with us, Elsa," Anna whispered past the ice. "Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, Bern, Sven, Gustav, Adele, Rodmund, Mirabelle, Alan, Marda, Gerda, Kai, Harold, Gypsy, Vilrun, Almar." Anna went on, listing the name of every person who had ever been kind to Elsa. "We're here for you. You can't do this to yourself without hurting everyone. You're connected to us and the world, you belong to us, you belong here, you're like us, give the good in you a chance. Elsa, come back from the ice."

The ice fought back against Anna, trying to thrust frozen fear in, but Anna's heart was too full of true love to even feel the attempt. Spiteful with defeat, it turned back to its victim, but Elsa raised her head and echoed Anna's list. The names of those who loved her became a talisman of truth and love, and the falsehood and fear of the ice couldn't withstand them any more than darkness can withstand the presence of light.

Bern was smashing at the rapidly thinning ice with a heavy brass candlestick he'd snatched off a nearby mantle. The guardsmen joined in, beating at the ice with their sword hilts as layers of ice vanished away. Gustav was behind Anna, his hands on her shoulders, supporting her as she kept up the steady stream of true love that was drawing Elsa back to them.

The candlestick broke through and the ice fell apart in great chunks. They tore it out of the way and Anna scrambled past the debris to get to Elsa. She was breathing, crying, coming back from somewhere very far away. Anna clutched her sister to her, Bern and Gustav encircling them both.


	14. Chapter 14 - Elsa's Limits

**Chapter 14 – Elsa's Limits**

The next morning, Gerda helped Elsa into a blue dress of soft cotton with a white embroidered collar, and then led her to the couch in her sitting room, sat her down and tucked a patchwork quilt in around her. Elsa let her do it, drawing comfort from the quilt's softness and the cheerful bright yellow, red and blue blocks. A fire crackled in the hearth. There was no sunshine today. Gray clouds brooded outside her window, wind whipping the waves that crashed against the castle island. Those same heavy clouds had wrapped around the mountaintops while they dumped their load of snow. Elsa assumed Kristoff was up there, as far away as he could get, relieved to be caught in a physical storm instead of an emotional storm.

Lieutenant Almar, her bodyguard, was in the room instead of waiting in the corridor. He tried to remain inconspicuous, except for when he had to make a circuit of the room, checking doors and windows. It was strange to have his green uniform, sword and solemn face as a reminder of the danger she was in, while knowing that he had no way to defend her from her greatest danger. None of them could do that.

Olaf climbed up onto Elsa's dresser and refused to leave. He was quiet, watching Elsa with a face full of somber worry. Other than wiggling his foot snowballs, he was still.

Anna had taken over the Council and the crisis. She'd left strict instructions that nothing be allowed to bother Elsa today. Still shocked at what she'd nearly done to herself, Elsa hadn't argued, knowing she wasn't in any condition to make decisions. She'd merely watched Anna turn into a strong, confident leader and bossy sister and felt relieved that someone else could take over. She wasn't entirely alone.

"All right, dearie, I got this one started for you. Hold the rags like this, then it's nothing but a regular braid, but leave out the tag rag so we can weave it into a circle, see?" Gerda sat next to Elsa with a basket of rags and the beginnings of two rag rugs. "Then we just weave in another rag when one strand ends. Try to fold in the frayed edges as you go, so they're all underneath. It makes a nicer rug."

Elsa watched her, then tried to copy her. She'd scared Gerda last night, ranting about how her hands could do nothing but freeze and destroy. Always practical, Gerda had taken her literally and shown up that morning with a project. Elsa was going to learn to braid a rag rug because she didn't have the heart or energy to refuse Gerda, who was clearly anxious to do something helpful.

"Very good, your Majesty," Gerda complimented her. "Now pull out this rag here. The braid only has to be a few inches long before we start the knots. No, dearie, it's this one, see?"

Elsa looked from her braid back to Gerda's, studied it, then picked up a different strip of fabric. This was supposed to be more relaxing than running a country, but it was every bit as intricate.

"That's right. Now, it goes under while you're pulling this one through at the same time. It's more of a half-hitch knot than a braid here," Gerda said, her fingers pulling the fabric around and into a tidy knot.

Elsa tried to copy the motion, but she had a fabric strip in the wrong place and the knot pulled out smoothly into nothing.

"This one was over instead of under. It's an easy mistake to make; we all do it," Gerda assured her. "Here, put the green one here under the striped one and try it again."

This time the knot snarled instead of lying flat like Gerda's. Elsa picked it back out, trying not to cry. It was so easy for everyone else, and so hard for her. She'd spent her entire life with her hands in gloves, and she couldn't catch up with everyone else no matter how badly she wanted to. These past few months, she'd started to relax and think she belonged here in Arendelle, but yesterday the ice had thrown her differences back into her face and laughed at her for thinking she was like them. She couldn't even tie a rag into a knot, much less be part of the human race.

With Gerda holding the strips in place, Elsa managed to do the knot correctly.

"Just right, dearie!" Gerda complimented her. "Now we do it again."

When Elsa snarled the next knot, she froze the braid. "Oh!" she cried out, and dropped it as if it was a snake.

"Ach, dearie, it's just a little bit. Don't you worry about a little bit like that," Gerda pleaded with her, taking the icy braid and warming it in her hands. "See, it's melted already."

Elsa took it back only because Gerda wanted her to try again. But she was relieved when someone knocked on the door. Almar drew his sword and opened it, sheathing his sword again when he saw who it was.

"Lord Councilors Rodmund and Gustav to see you, ma'am," Almar told her.

Elsa handed the braid to Gerda and put on her blue linen gloves. Gerda patted her knee as she gathered up her rag basket. She set the basket on the dresser next to Olaf as she left the room.

They came in hesitantly. "Good morning, your Majesty," Rodmund said. "How are you feeling today?" He tugged on his gray jacket that had a tendency to pull awkwardly over his paunch, the gold-tasseled shoulder epaulettes marking him as the third-highest ranking authority in the kingdom.

"We've been worried about you," Gustav said. He was wearing a dark blue cutaway coat with pewter buttons over a white shirt.

"Please sit down. I'm sorry I'm so useless right now," Elsa said, folding her gloved hands over the bright-colored quilt on her lap as her councilors pulled the upholstered chairs closer to her couch and sat down.

"You don't need to worry about that. Princess Anna has taken over and is proving herself quite competent," Rodmund said.

"He's understating things," Gustav said, clearly proud of his star pupil. "Princess Anna is a force to be reckoned with."

"I can imagine," Elsa said. "Did Oslin survive? Have you talked to him? I want to see him."

"We've talked to Oslin and gotten as much information from him as he possesses. He was quite willing to talk, actually. There's no need for you to see him," Rodmund said.

"I still want to see him," Elsa repeated. She had to know why he'd done it.

"Your councilors unanimously recommend that you not see him," Rodmund said.

"I'm the queen! You can't stop me!" Elsa said, angry at their protectiveness.

"You can pull rank on us if you want," Rodmund agreed mildly. "But all of us recommend that you not see him, including Princess Anna."

"Come now, Princess Anna only said we could talk to you if we didn't upset you. This conversation can wait," Gustav broke in. "We came to tell you we're glad you're still with us."

Elsa studied them. She was twenty-one. Gustav, with his dark hair just beginning to gray at the temples, was more than a lifetime ahead of her at fifty. Rodmund, with his iron gray hair and a face full of lines that traced out a smile even when he wasn't smiling, was even further ahead. Over the years they'd added wisdom and compassion to the knowledge they'd gained, and had gotten better as they'd gotten older. She couldn't understand why people like them wanted to be around someone like her.

"May I ask you something? Will you hear me out and listen and think about what I've said? And if you want to tell me that it's unthinkable and impossible, can you at least tell me why?" Elsa pleaded. "Everyone thinks I'm wrong, but no one will tell me why."

"Proceed, your Majesty," Rodmund said.

"Gerhard is right, I am the greatest danger facing Arendelle," Elsa started. "Just listen! You said you would listen! I don't have control of these strange powers as much as everyone wishes, including myself. You saw what happened last night, and I'm only glad I turned it inward on myself instead of unleashing it on Arendelle again, or any of you. Maybe I should have let the ice finish what it started. I'm so dangerous! Why don't you meet with Gerhard and tell him he's right? Then we can all find a place that's far enough away that I can't hurt any of you again and I can go there. Why not protect Arendelle from me? Why are we fighting Gerhard instead of me?"

To her relief, they didn't object immediately. She could almost see them thinking.

"My first reason is pure selfishness," Rodmund started slowly. "I want to be able to look in a mirror and like the man I see, and I could never do that again if I handed you over to Gerhard. What are your thoughts, Gustav?"

Gustav put his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "Your Majesty, would it upset you more if you hurt someone, or if someone wouldn't do what you wanted them to do?" Gustav asked.

"If I hurt someone, of course," Elsa said.

"You understand Gerhard would have chosen the other answer, don't you?" Gustav said. "Even when he was working with us on the Council, I was always a little wary of Gerhard. He's too quick to control people, and doesn't see how he affects others. Quite frankly, I'm more afraid of Gerhard than I am of you; it's never bothered him when he's hurt someone. You have some strange abilities, but you have a good heart. I'd much rather live in a kingdom ruled by you than by Gerhard. I'm not just fighting to defend you, I'm defending myself and my family from someone like Gerhard."

"But I can hurt people," Elsa objected. She held up her gloved hands. "I could hurt any one of you whether I meant to or not."

That drew a laugh of pure surprise from Rodmund and he caught one of her slim blue-clad hands and squeezed it between his own liver-spotted hands. "You can wear those gloves if you don't want to freeze the council table, your Majesty, but I'm not in any danger from you. Princess Anna showed us the limit, don't you remember? It's a heart full of true love; you can't hurt anyone who has the ability to put someone else's needs ahead of their own. You couldn't hurt me even if you wanted to."

Elsa stared at her hand that Rodmund was holding. Something of what they were saying was getting through. She was up against their essential goodness and loyalty. There was nothing she could say about herself and her powers that would change them into the sort of people who would hand her over to Gerhard. Their goodness was the limit on how much damage she could do. That was a strange thought – she'd always thought there were no limits. Still, they were more willing to fight for her than she was to fight for herself.

"But there will still be a battle. I'm not sure I'm worth it. I suppose I lack that instinct for self-preservation that all of you have," Elsa said.

"Ah, but when Princess Anna threw you a lifeline last night, you took it," Gustav pointed out.

"Begging your pardon at the interruption, your Majesty, Lord Councilors, but I've seen you defend yourself too," Almar said with a salute and a bow to excuse his boldness. The three of them turned towards the lieutenant.

He saluted again. "Lord Councilor Bern commanded me and my squadron to accompany him on the search party with Prince Hans after your coronation, and we found you in the palace on the North Mountain. You fought back when those guards from Weselton attacked you, and you were winning too, your Majesty."

"You and Bern were there?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, your Majesty. Lord Bern was the one that brought you back down the mountain so carefully. He was quite incensed when Prince Hans wanted to put you in the dungeon. Prince Hans had to pull his sword and threaten to run him through before Lord Bern would get out of his way," Almar said.

"I don't recall him telling us that detail," Rodmund mused. "I just remember him coming back to the council room and insisting we storm the dungeon and rescue you."

"We were going to do it, too, when you made the effort moot by escaping on your own. There's another act of self-preservation, by the way," Gustav said.

"Even Harold?" Elsa said with half a smile, picturing her white-haired finance councilor with his cane and arthritic knees.

"Especially Harold! It was his idea to steal guard uniforms for disguises. Can't you picture the seven of us tricked out like Castle Guards, storming the dungeon?" Rodmund asked.

Elsa laughed.

"There's that laugh again! We were hoping it would be back soon," Rodmund said with a twinkle in his brown eyes. He finally let go of her hand. "We were going to invite you along too, Almar," Rodmund said to the lieutenant, who replied with a salute and a smile.

Elsa trusted these men to help her run the country. Why wouldn't she trust them when they said she was a good person and belonged with them? How could they be wise about so many things and wrong on this most important thing?

"All right, I'll accept your recommendation. I won't see Oslin," Elsa said. "But can you tell me what he said?"

"He confirmed what we were suspecting. Gerhard has gathered a force of mercenaries and intends to attack soon," Gustav said. "Gerhard didn't share many details with him. He also insisted he was working alone and no other guards are involved. Naturally, we're taking that with a grain of salt; Captain Torvin is conducting a thorough shakedown of the Castle Guards and anyone with access to the castle, looking for more accomplices."

Elsa nodded, feeling stronger as she accepted the fact that she could rely on the people around her. She pushed the quilt off her lap and stood up. "Give me a few minutes, and I'll join you in the council room."

Gustav and Rodmund exchanged pensive looks. "You'll have to take that up with Princess Anna yourself. We're not getting in her way."

Elsa went on, "I wish I'd seen Kristoff before he left. I didn't get a chance to thank him for what he did."

"Oh, he's around here somewhere, just very busy," Rodmund said. "Vilrun swore him in as a Castle Guardsman early this morning."

Elsa blinked in surprise.

They bowed deeply. Almar opened the door for them as they left, passing Olaf who was still up on the dresser, quietly playing with strips of fabric.

Elsa went back into her bedroom where Gerda had left the untouched breakfast tray. Suddenly she was ravenous. She spread jam on a biscuit and poured herself some cooled tea. Even cold eggs tasted good right now.

It was so strange that they thought she was a good person even though she'd made such terrible mistakes. They kept assuming all she needed was another chance, and lots of love and support. In her mind, a mistake meant she should be banished so she could never hurt anyone again. That's what Gerhard thought too.

Her eyes went wide. That's what her father had done to her. The biscuit suddenly tasted like sand, and she dropped it and cried.


	15. Chapter 15 - War Council

**Chapter 15 – War Council**

Lord Councilor Gustav squeezed Anna's shoulder as he passed her to take his seat next to her and whispered, "Queen Elsa's spirits are improving. She intends to join us shortly."

Nine of them were seated in carved walnut chairs around the oval council table: seven Councilors, Princess Anna, and Captain Torvin of the Castle Guard. A fire burned, adding a snap and pop to the sound of low voices and the rustle of paper and parchment. The council room held the portraits of past kings who looked down on their successors from their hard-won places in history. Guardsman Gerry, Anna's bodyguard, alternated between standing at the doorway next to Finn, the castle page, and walking around the room, paying special attention to doors and windows. The usual lighthearted banter that filled the room when the Councilors gathered was missing today.

Anna called everyone to order the way she'd watched Elsa start meetings for the past few months. Elsa needed her help and Anna shone brightest when someone needed her. And if anyone in the room thought it was strange to be under the authority of a blue-eyed eighteen-year-old with long red braids, none of them said so. The fact that she was obviously taking advice from Gustav helped their confidence in her. In her best formal voice, Anna began. "We'd like to acknowledge Captain Torvin of the Castle Guard, who has been invited to join us today. Lord Rodmund, I turn the meeting over to you."

"Thank you, your Highness," Rodmund said. "We've just come from a visit with Queen Elsa. I'm pleased to be able to tell you that her spirits are recovering and we hope to see her soon. You've all been briefed already on what we learned from Oslin. What we still don't know is Gerhard's timeline for attack. However, with the snowstorm in the mountains we can safely say that an attack won't come today. Given the weather, he either attacks within the next couple of days, or he retreats until spring. Captain Torvin, have your guards reported anything?"

Captain Torvin cleared his throat. He was a barrel-chested man with salt and pepper hair, more comfortable swinging a sword than speaking to the Council. "I've sent a squad up to the hamlets in the foothills to talk to people and see if anyone has noticed unusual activity. They haven't found anything out, but left word with the people to report to us if something should come up."

Rodmund nodded an acknowledgment, then asked, "Vilrun, can you comment on Arendelle's defensive plans?"

"Our guards are already setting up a perimeter around the village that we can hold against a larger force. This will, of course, mean evacuating the mountain villages and hamlets into Arendelle Village because we can't defend the smaller settlements. We'll need to plan where we'll put the refugees and how we'll feed them when they're here. If we could find out when Gerhard intends to attack, it would simplify that issue. Likely, we can't keep that many extra people in Arendelle Village for more than a week without having trouble with the food supply," Vilrun said. He was scowling, more at himself than at anyone else.

"How do you plan to defend against a larger force?" Rodmund asked.

"With barricades. We can also lay lures and traps in some of the streets and alleys," Vilrun said.

"You're talking about a house to house battle in Arendelle Village?" Anna asked. "That's terribly destructive." She looked at Gustav for confirmation and he nodded.

"There isn't an alternative," Vilrun said.

"Yes there is," Anna objected. "We take the battle to them up in the mountains rather than waiting for them to come to us. It's just like when Whitestanes fought Breiwick in the Battle of Arch Pass in 1613. We don't need ten thousand soldiers when we have mountains like ours. We let our terrain fight the battle and we just pick off any survivors when they get here."

General silence fell.

"Am I the only one who studies history?" Anna demanded.

Gustav restrained a smile.

"Her idea has potential," Captain Torvin said. "If we hid some of our guards in the mountain hamlets and they began harassing the mercenaries as they came, we might reduce their forces a bit."

"Yes, even stalling them for a few days might lead to frostbite and demoralization," Vilrun said. "Because they are only mercenaries, they might decide to quit."

"That's a lot of 'mights' and guesses," Rodmund pointed out.

"Our guards will be as vulnerable to the weather as the mercenaries," Vilrun replied. "There's a limit on what they'll be able to do."

Anna was fidgeting, wondering why the idea that was so obvious to her hadn't occurred to anyone else. Gustav caught her eye and, with a tip of his head, invited her to interrupt.

"Excuse me," Anna broke in. "But don't you have an ice harvester in your ranks? He might have some useful ideas."

Gustav signaled his approval with a smile and nod.

Rodmund turned to the page at the door. "Finn, fetch Kristoff for us, please. He's most likely in the outer courtyard near the wing of the castle where the guards are quartered."

"I understand there was some difficulty about a haircut and a uniform, Vilrun. How did that turn out?" Gustav asked conversationally.

"I'm sure I don't know," Vilrun replied, frowning so hard his jowls drooped.

When Kristoff did appear in the council room, he was wearing his ice harvester outfit, his blonde hair as shaggy as it had ever been. He had a sword strapped around his waist that knocked against his leg whenever he took a step.

"Thank you for joining us, Kristoff," Rodmund greeted him. "We're discussing the possibility of being attacked by Gerhard's army of mercenary soldiers at any moment now. Princess Anna suggested we take advantage of the danger inherent in the mountains during the wintertime to thin the ranks of our enemy, and thought perhaps you'd be able to offer assistance."

Kristoff stared at him blankly.

"We need you to help us get rid of some of Gerhard's soldiers while they're still in the mountains, before they reach Arendelle Village and the castle," Anna translated.

"Oh," said Kristoff, relieved. "That's easy. I'm going to stick with my belt knife, though. I don't have time to figure out this sword. Here, take it back." He unbuckled his sword and handed it to Gerry, who accepted it but then stood there in confusion, wondering what to do with it.

"You need a weapon," Vilrun said stiffly.

"I've killed wolves with a belt knife," Kristoff replied evenly. "I'll be fine."

Vilrun's nostrils flared. "The mercenaries will be vulnerable in the snow and cold. We are discussing the possibility of ordering you to accompany several squadrons of guardsmen in the mountains with the aim of locating Gerhard's soldiers and incapacitating them. You would be under orders, but your commanding officer would be able to offer some leeway if the situation required."

Captain Torvin chimed in. "Your advice about dealing with the snow and cold without incurring frostbite would be important. After the meeting, we can hear your suggestions."

Kristoff frowned. "What good is that going to do? Your people don't have time to learn how to move in the snow like an ice harvester any more than I've got time to learn how to use a sword."

Anna leaned towards Gustav and whispered, "I outrank Vilrun, right?"

Gustav nodded.

"So if I say something, he has to do it?" Anna clarified.

Gustav nodded again.

"Kristoff, what kind of order do you want to follow?" Anna asked loudly.

Vilrun and Torvin turned affronted looks in her direction.

Kristoff shrugged. "Something like, 'find a way to stop an army,' would be good. Just let me come up with the details on my own, okay?"

"Kristoff, I order you to find a way to stop Gerhard's army," Anna said.

He shrugged again. "Okay."

"Of course we'll send at least three squadrons with you," Vilrun insisted.

"What good would that do? I'll take Olaf," Kristoff replied.

"Olaf?!" Vilrun said, outraged.

"He's got a knack for turning up useful information and I don't have to worry about him freezing to death," Kristoff said.

"You can't go up there alone," Torvin objected.

"I'm not alone. I've got friends. We can take this," Kristoff said.

"Kristoff, what else do you need?" Anna broke in.

"Just permission to get started," he answered.

"Permission granted," Anna said.

He gave her a mischievous grin. "Thanks, Anna. I'd salute you but Vilrun hasn't taught me how to do that yet."

Rodmund ended the meeting soon after Kristoff left.

Under cover of the general bustle of people gathering to leave, Gustav leaned over and said softly, "Congratulations, your Highness, you just changed the course of a war, and possibly the course of history."

"I'd be more excited about it if I hadn't just sent Kristoff to fight a war by himself," Anna said, her eyebrows peaked with worry.

"He'll have to work fast," Bern said from her other side. "He likely only has a few days before . . ."

"The Hamarians overrun us," Anna finished for him.

"Actually, I was going to say, 'before Vilrun court-martials him for insubordination,'" Bern corrected her.

~###~

Elsa had taken longer to regain her composure than she had wanted. She walked down the corridor towards the council room, Almar trailing her. Kristoff was coming towards them.

"Hey, you all right?" he greeted her.

"Yes, I'm doing better now," Elsa replied. They stopped next to a window seat that was just like the one outside the library, where Elsa had sat the night before after Kristoff had stabbed Oslin.

"Good, because I've got a bone to pick with you," Kristoff said, looming over her and shaking his finger in her face. "You don't pull a stunt like that again, understand? I'd just saved your life. If you want to try and throw it away, you'll answer to me."

"Well, I," Elsa stammered.

"I'll go win this war for you, if that's what you want. But you bloody well better be here when I get back. Got it?" Kristoff demanded.

"All right, I'll be here," Elsa agreed in astonishment.

"Good. Seen Olaf?"

"He's in my sitting room," Elsa answered.

"I'll be gone for a few days," Kristoff called back over his shoulder as he disappeared around a corner. "Your sister is ordering me around again. I'll send updates when I can."

Elsa just stood there with a smile unexpectedly creeping over her face. Everyone else had treated her as if she was as fragile as blown glass. Kristoff thought she was strong enough to take a scolding.


	16. Chapter 16 - Talking Rocks with Big Ears

**Chapter 16 – Talking Rocks with Big Ears**

The steam vents at the Valley of the Living Rock kept ice and snow from staying on the ground. The snow that had been falling since early this morning was tapering off, but small flakes were still silently falling as Kristoff glided up in his sled and pulled Sven to a halt where the ground suddenly stopped being covered in almost three feet of new snow and turned back into gray limestone with mossy green patches. He unhitched Sven's harness.

"Olaf, you go with Sven. Sven, you know where Lito and Hatch live?" Kristoff asked.

Sven snorted an acknowledgement.

"Start with them. Duff, Bagley and Hile are all in that same hamlet. Bagley wants to meet you anyway, Olaf. Ask them to stop at the other hamlets and spread the word to the other ice harvesters to meet me at the caves by Tunnel Hollow as soon as you can. Stop at Nick's place too. He won't be able to come because of his gimpy leg, but maybe he can send Furball," Kristoff said. "I can use anyone who can come. Then come back and pick me up. We've got to get to Tunnel Hollow before the others and start planning."

Sven made a wistful noise.

"I'll tell them you said hi," Kristoff promised. "But we've got to move fast. Gerhard's army could get to Arendelle Village as early as tomorrow if we don't do something about it, and we don't have time for a party."

Sven nodded, then flipped Olaf onto his back and galloped away.

Kristoff trotted into a terraced area of stone and moss covered with round rocks, calling out "hello!"

The rocks rolled and rumbled, then rolled out into stone people about knee height with moss clothing, grass tufts for hair, and shining crystal necklaces. They had big ears, bulbous noses, and close-set eyes that were surprisingly human.

"Kristoff's home!" Bulda shouted, and a party started as they all demanded his attention at once.

"Look at my new moss!"

"Where's Sven?"

"Watch me stand on my head!"

"Watch me stand on Zulda's head!"

"Why haven't you washed your clothes?"

"Where's that girl you're going to marry?"

"Pick me up!"

"Pick Pone up!"

"Hug!"

"See my mushroom!"

"Where do baby trolls come from?"

"Where's Olaf?"

"Can I have your boot?"

"I told Vixie you like me best!"

"Look what happens when I put my fire crystal up Chone's nose!"

"Tell Vixie to stop hitting me!"

"Does it hurt when I do this to your foot?"

"Guys! Guys!" Kristoff shouted down the happy noise and hopped away from Rhone who was crushing his foot. "I need your help."

"Yes, indeed you do," Bulda said, nodding solemnly and looking around to make sure the others were nodding with her.

"That's not what I meant," Kristoff said. "Where's Grand Pabbie?"

"He's taking a nap," Trixie chirped, and bounced into his arms with the deep popping sound that marked the troll magic that let them move around so quickly.

"Good," said Kristoff, staggering under Trixie's weight. His goal right now was to encourage some rocky recklessness, and he didn't need any sage, level-headed wisdom getting in his way. "Look, there are some bad guys trying to, um, do some bad stuff in Arendelle, and I'm wondering if you can come help me. It would be like playing games with me and some of the other ice harvesters."

"Games!" shouted Pixie, Trixie, Dixie and Vixie.

"I get to win!" shouted Stone, Pone, Vone, Chone and Rhone.

"That's great, but I need some of the grown-ups too. Can you help me out?" Kristoff asked the older and bigger trolls. The little ones had loads of adventurous energy, but he also needed some trolls who could hold still.

"Bad guys, huh?" said Cliff. "Are they humans too?"

"Well, yeah," said Kristoff.

"Humans are humans," Cliff said with a shrug.

"Not all humans are good humans," Kristoff argued.

"If you wait long enough, the bad humans die," Cliff said wisely. "Learn patience."

"We don't have that long to wait," Kristoff said, wondering how he could convey a sense of urgency to beings who measured their lifespan in millennia. "I just need you to take a nap."

"We do that even if you don't need us to," Cliff pointed out.

"Can you take a nap in Webber Pass for a couple of days?" Kristoff asked.

"Good sunshine in Webber Pass," Giff commented. Rhiff and Biff nodded.

In unison, the trolls all looked up at the sky and double-blinked. The gray snow clouds were starting to break up. Here and there, a crack of blue sky shown through.

"That's all?" Cliff asked.

"Yep, just roll on up to the narrowest point in Webber Pass and take a nap. I'll send Trixie to wake you up when you can leave," Kristoff said.

Trixie bounced with excitement and Kristoff dropped her. She rolled around on the ground shouting, "He picked me! He picked me!" until Vixie hit her again.

Cliff looked around at the other troll men, then shrugged stone shoulders. "Can't hurt." Several dozen of the big male trolls upended themselves and burrowed away into the ground, moving quickly as their troll magic hurried them along. Once they got into one of the subterranean veins of limestone, they could travel anywhere the limestone reached.

"If we help you, will you marry that nice girl?" Bulda demanded.

"Uh," Kristoff stalled. "I can't promise that."

Bulda sat down and folded her arms. Gulda, Hulda, Mulda, Zulda and Sulda sat down with her, folded their arms, put their noses in the air and waited.

"I can ask her," Kristoff said, "but I can't make her say yes."

"If she doesn't say yes, you bring her right back here and we'll have a chat with her until she says yes," Bulda said with a wide, toothy conspiratorial grin and a big wink.

Kristoff put his head in his hands and pondered the greater good. Anna would just have to understand, either that or sic a bodyguard on him. Whichever. Or maybe she never had to find out about this deal at all. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Yay!" Bulda climbed up Hulda and Zulda to give Kristoff a kiss on the cheek.

"Do you want to take a bath?" Kristoff asked them.

"Are you suggesting we need to?" Hulda demanded suspiciously as Bulda jumped down.

"Of course not," Kristoff said quickly. "I just know how much you ladies love baths, and I know a place where you can get the nicest bath you've ever had, if you don't mind working with a few humans."

"If they smell like you, are they going to take a bath too?" Mulda asked.

"It's kind of cold for humans to take baths right now," Kristoff said.

Mulda sighed in disappointment. "You're squishy, you don't live long enough, and you don't take a bath when you need it. Humans are about as impressive as cockroaches."

"Cockroaches don't get sick if they eat mushrooms," Bulda pointed out. She'd never really forgiven Kristoff for getting sick when she'd fed him the mushroom she'd grown.

"Anyway," Kristoff broke in, "you know the S-turn on Winding Creek just below Bear Rock Point? If you can wait there, I'm going to ask some of the ice harvesters to make a pool, and then you ladies can help dam it up until it's deep enough for a really nice bath, then let it go all at once. It will be like your own personal waterfall."

"That does sound nice," said Gulda.

"All right, we'll do it," Bulda said, stabbing a stone finger into Kristoff's shin. "And then I want a front row seat at the wedding." She burrowed into the ground with a few dozen of the adult lady trolls, connected with the limestone, and disappeared.

"What do we get to do?" demanded the little ones.

Kristoff crouched down and they rolled over to bump into his knees and knock him onto his backside. He landed on Pone. "You guys are going to be running races and playing hide and seek. First thing I need you to do is find the people who have boots like mine and come tell me how many there are and where you saw them. Now, if it's just one or two guys with a reindeer, I don't need to know about them because those are our guys. The ones you're looking for are dressed just like me, but they'll be a whole bunch of them together, and they've got horses instead of reindeer. Can you find them? I'll be in the Tunnel Hollow caves. First one back to me with the information wins the race!"

"I get to win!" six of them shouted at once. Then the whole group upended and burrowed away, spreading down into the limestone veins below the surface where they could hear the vibrations that meant footsteps on the surface and travel anywhere the rock reached. The Tunnel Hollow caves were in that limestone network, which is why he'd chosen them for his headquarters.

Sven came galloping into the empty grotto and looked around. Olaf was perched on his head holding onto his antlers.

"Did we miss the party?" Olaf asked.

"We'll meet up with the party at Tunnel Hollow," Kristoff promised. "Did you find Lito?"

"Yeah. He said to tell you that you've got an ice block for brains but they'll come anyway," said Olaf.

Sven snorted a confirmation.

"Good enough. Let's go." Kristoff hitched up Sven and they set off through the snow for Tunnel Hollow.

Not long after, Grand Pabbie came rolling down the terraces. He yawned, stretched and looked around. "Where did everybody go?" He put a big, limestone ear to the ground, double-blinked, and then burrowed down and out of sight.

Steam vents hissed in the empty grotto, sending white trails up into the clearing sky.

~###~

"When do I get my sword?" Olaf asked. He sat next to Kristoff on the sled's bench seat, bouncing with excitement.

"You don't," Kristoff said, holding the reins in a slack hand while Sven trotted towards Tunnel Hollow.

"Oh. Then what about my spear?" Olaf persisted.

"No spear either," Kristoff said.

Olaf sighed, then brightened as he figured it out. "I get a crossbow, don't I?"

"Nope. Throw a snowball if you want, but none of us have weapons," Kristoff said.

"This is the strangest war I've ever been in," Olaf declared.

"Got lots to compare it to, do you?" Kristoff commented.

"Well, you know, Anna told me the fairy tale about the tin soldier," Olaf said. "So now I'm a war expert!"

Kristoff snorted. "That story isn't about war! He gets melted!"

"That part was really scary," Olaf said solemnly with a nod. "I had to ask Anna to make up a happy ending the second time she told me the story. She said she changes the endings of fairy tales all the time to make them happy."

"Yeah, let me know if she figures out how the fish and the bird can ever get together," Kristoff said, pulling Sven to a halt in the hills above Tunnel Hollow. The hills were riddled with a network of caves, tucked down into an evergreen forest of lodgepole pines and blue spruce. The trees carried such a load of snow that there was only a few inches on the ground by the caves, and the sled runners were sticking in the cold mud.

"Hang on," Kristoff told Sven as he dropped the reins and climbed out.

Olaf wandered away as Kristoff got a torch out of the back of the sled and lit it. He ducked down into the first cave and held up the torch. After the low opening, the ceiling opened up high enough that the light from his torch was swallowed up in the gloom. The floor was level, and it didn't smell too musty. He went back out to unhitch Sven and start unloading his sled into the cave.

Olaf came back and peeked his head in. "Is this the cave you want to use?"

"A cave is a cave," Kristoff replied, strapping his tools into bundles.

"Then do you want me to bring all that stuff from the other cave back to this one?" Olaf offered.

"What stuff?"

"The food and lanterns and blankets and chairs and firewood and paper and lamp oil and more food and water and dishes," Olaf began.

Kristoff interrupted the list. "What?" He followed Olaf over to another cave and ducked in. Just like Olaf had described, the cave was outfitted better than some cottages he'd seen. It was far more comfortable and well-stocked than the ice harvester shacks. He came out and looked closely at the snow around the entrance. At last he found what he was looking for. Tracks, no more than dimples in the new snow, led away from the cave. As near as he could tell, there was only one set of tracks, probably a horse, based on the spacing between steps. Judging by the amount of snow that filled them, the horse had left at least several hours ago.

Kristoff shrugged. "We'll give a hearty handshake of thanks to whoever stocked headquarters for us. Stand out there and wave the ice harvesters this direction, would you Olaf?" He went back into the cave and lit the lanterns hanging on the walls. He used his knife to pry open a jar of peaches and started eating. There was even a desk here, with a stack of paper that wasn't yet damp from being in a cave. He set aside the peaches and pulled out some sheets of paper, took a burnt stick out of the cold campfire, and started to sketch maps of the mountains.

Olaf stuck his head in. "If I find a sword around here, can I have it?"

"No," Kristoff said without looking up.

Olaf sighed and went back outside.

Bagley and Duff arrived first, to Olaf's excitement. "See! I told you! I told you! We're having a war!" he crowed in triumph as they pulled their sleds to a stop and climbed out.

"In here!" Kristoff yelled from inside the cave, still working on a map.

Bagley came up behind him and smacked him upside the head.

"Hey! What was that for?" Kristoff protested, putting his hat back on.

"You send a talking snowman to tell us that we're going to war and we have to drop everything and meet you in a cave because some rocks are coming and you can't figure out why you deserved to get smacked?" Bagley said, his bushy mustache twitching.

"You said you wanted to meet him," Kristoff reminded him.

Lito was close behind them. "I told people what the snowman said. Not sure anyone will believe us and come, but I told people. You have the weirdest ideas, you know that?"

"Look, guys, get mad at me later. But those Hamarians we've been seeing at the ice lakes are mercenary soldiers, and they're going to attack Arendelle if we don't stop them. Lito, you saw those guys at Hidden Lake. You know they weren't ice harvesters, and they had a cave full of weapons. Some guy that used to be on the Royal Council named Gerhard has a grudge against Elsa, and he wants to take over the kingdom. I stabbed a guy last night who was trying to kidnap Anna on Gerhard's orders. This got real," Kristoff said.

"You stabbed a guy?" Lito said. "I thought you said this wasn't your fight either."

"It became my fight. He had a dagger to Anna's throat. Yeah, I stabbed a guy," Kristoff said shortly. He hadn't paused to think much since then, but Gerhard and Oslin had taken a vague political threat and made it personal.

There was a pause as the ice harvesters took in the fact that this wasn't some weird joke. "Princess Anna? I'd see her around when I used to deliver ice to the castle. She's just a girl. Someone had a dagger at her throat?" Duff asked.

Kristoff was not happy to have the memory raked up. It was still too close. "Yeah," he said. "He was stupid and he smothered her. When she passed out, I got a chance to stab him. Then Elsa freaked out and we nearly lost her too. That's the kind of man that's trying to take over the kingdom. There's a few hundred guys on this mountain just like him. I want to get rid of them, and I thought I'd give you guys the privilege of helping me."

"We're fighting them?" Duff asked.

"No, the mountain will fight them. We're just going to set things up and then get out of the way. No one gets hurt, except for the Hamarians," Kristoff promised.

"I don't have much use for anyone who'd threaten a girl like Anna," Duff concluded. "What do you want us to do?"

"I'm waiting for information about where these guys are, but let me show you the maps and tell you some ideas," Kristoff said. He passed out glass jars of preserved fruit and pickles. "Eat up. I need the empty jars."

"That's easy enough," Duff said, prying the lid off a quart of apricots.

As he talked, more ice harvesters filtered into the caves. By the end of the hour, there were fourteen of them.

"This may be all you get," Lito pointed out. "We could probably round up a few more if we had time to go convince people this was serious." He finished the last pickle and set the empty jar back on an ottoman next to the rest of them.

"Time is the one thing we don't have," Kristoff said.

"How are you going to find out where these guys are?" Bagley asked.

"You know those rocks I talk to?" Kristoff asked. "They went looking for them. They'll be here any minute. Brace yourselves. They make a lot of noise, and watch your toes."

Lito and Roark gave Olaf an uncertain glance.

"I'm not a troll, I'm a snowman, and I don't step on toes," Olaf said loftily.

There was a subterranean rumble, and then trolls started dropping out of the ceiling.

"I won! I won!"

"I got here first!"

"No, you didn't!"

"I was first!"

"Me!"

"You're a rock head!"

"Mud for brains!"

"You cheated!"

The ice harvesters backed up into a group in the center of the cave in shock as the trolls dropped in, rolled around, then popped open into little people again, each trying to shout about winning the race louder than the other ones. Olaf chased the rolling trolls, his mouth open in a happy grin as they shouted greetings and tried to climb him.

Kristoff put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. The trolls stopped and clapped their hands over their stone ears. Vixie jumped on Pixie and Trixie ended up on top where she could stick her tongue out at him. "I don't like it when you do that!" Trixie scolded him.

"Okay, one at a time, I want you to come look at the map and tell me where you saw the bad guys and how many there were," Kristoff said.

"I still won," Pone sulked.

Eight trolls crowded around the map, pointing and talking at once until Kristoff waved them off and told Olaf to line them up. Olaf took his job seriously, and prodded the little trolls into an uneven line and shushed them. The ice harvesters bent down to stare at the trolls, who stared back.

"You talk?" Roark asked Pone.

"Only if I want to," Pone replied with a sniff. "Your feet smell funny."

Bagley reached out a finger and poked him. Pone poked him back, which knocked his leg out from under him.

"Leave him alone, Bagley," Kristoff told him from where he was listening to Chone tell how many Hamarians he had seen.

As the trolls finished their reports, they started jumping around the cave, burrowing into the wall and coming out the ceiling, dropping to the floor to see if they could bounce over a wooden chest or the campfire. It was when they started trying to jump over the ice harvesters that Kristoff chased them out. "Go get my sled unloaded! Olaf, supervise them. I need everything out of my sled and stashed in that empty cave."

"Kristoff's stuff!" the trolls yelled as they stampeded out of the cave.

Olaf ran after them. "Kristoff said I was in charge! Wait for me!" Then he paused. "Hey, Kristoff? Can I have an axe?"

"No."

Olaf sighed and ran off.

Kristoff waited until the ruckus died down and then beckoned the ice harvesters over. "All right, here's what we know now. They're in two different groups of a couple hundred people each. One group is still camped at Snowshoe Falls, and I'm going to make sure they don't get any further. There's another group already through Webber Pass and heading for Arendelle through here," he traced his finger down the map he'd drawn in charcoal. "Since that's the most direct route to Arendelle, I'd guessed that's where they would be and I've got some ideas already going. I'm going to block the second group before we go make life hard for the ones in front."

"What if the first guys get to Arendelle?" Zak asked.

"They're too far away to get there before tomorrow morning, even if nothing goes wrong. And a whole lot of things are about to go wrong. Zak, can you turn the swing saw into a sled-mounted catapult?" Kristoff asked.

Zak thought about it. "What kind of payload and trajectory do you want it to have?"

"Shallow trajectory. We'll be up on Swayback Ridge firing into Tanner's Wash and we don't want to overshoot. Maybe a fifteen or twenty pound payload is all," Kristoff said. "Take a metal tray from the stuff that's here and use it to line the bucket. The payload will be on fire, and we don't want the catapult to burn."

"I'll go mess around and see what I come up with. Can I build it on your sled? It's the easiest to maneuver," Zak said.

"Nah, I need it. I'm going to be flying along the fracture line on Avalanche Pass with it while you're building the catapult," Kristoff said with a grin.

There was silence, then Zak put into words what they were all thinking. "You really are an idiot."

"You're just jealous that I'm hogging the fun assignment," Kristoff replied.

"They're not going to take Avalanche Pass," Roark objected. "Anyone with half a brain would take Webber Pass."

"Not if Webber Pass is blocked by a rockslide. They're headed up there now," Kristoff said. "And the Hamarians don't know it's named Avalanche Pass. They're not even ice harvesters. They don't know how dangerous new snow can be on a slope still carrying the crust of last year's snowpack. And once their supply wagons burn down to the axles, they aren't going to be able to spend an extra four days going around by Piney Ridge."

Bagley shook his head. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but it sounds like you know what you're doing. What do you want us to do?"

"So glad you asked. Come here." Kristoff bent over the map, sketching plans out as the ice harvesters crowded in. By twos and threes, they got their assignments and headed out.


	17. Chapter 17 - Meanwhile

**Chapter 17 – Meanwhile . . .**

Elsa, Anna, and most of the Royal Council were gathered in the council room, but there wasn't a formal meeting in session. Conversations stopped and started and were dropped without any kind of structure or sense of accomplishment. Councilor Vilrun was out inspecting guardsmen and barricades with Captain Torvin, and Elsa expected to hear from him before she heard from Kristoff. Guardsmen Gerry and Almar frequently crisscrossed the room, hands on their sword hilts.

Elsa kept getting up to look out the second-floor window. Through the diamond glass panes she could see the mountain. The clouds had cleared off for now, though more gray clouds waited on the horizon for a chance to move in. Kristoff was up there, fighting the war for them. She looked down at her hands and felt guilty that she didn't have Kristoff's courage. It was her war; she should be up there too. But there was only one contribution she could make to a battle, and it frightened her. Two days ago, the ice had almost killed her. She didn't dare unleash it again, not when she was still so unsteady. She might not be its only casualty next time.

They were waiting for word from Kristoff. There was nothing to do and nowhere to go in the meantime. They didn't know anything about how many Hamarians there were, if they were still coming, when they would get here, or if they'd given up and gone home when Oslin failed to do what he'd tried to do.

She wished she could braid a rag rug, or embroider, or do anything at all that might distract her mind from what her hands could do if she let them. She balled her gloved hands into fists, and went to look out the window again. The fire blazed on the hearth. The portraits of past kings still looked down impassively on the imposing walnut council table. The white wainscoting gave a clean and cheerful look to the blue patterned wallpaper. The rugs on the floor were deep and soft. It was a comfortable room, but the surroundings couldn't ease the tension she felt.

Chief Steward Kai opened the door slowly enough to not alarm Guardsmen Almar and Gerry. "Lord Councilor Alan to join you, your Majesty," he announced.

Councilor Alan approached Elsa rather than joining the other Councilors. He had strawberry blonde hair, light blue eyes framed in blonde eyelashes, and freckled cheeks. He looked much younger than he was, except for his hands, which were strong and callused with prominent knuckles and two missing fingertips where he'd had an accident with a saw at some point in his life. Councilor Alan had achieved the rank of Master Carpenter before being appointed to the Councilor position over all guilds, artisans and skilled craftsmen in Arendelle. Alan may have joined the government, but he never stopped practicing his craft. Every so often a bookshelf in the castle sprouted a new lintel, or a carved wooden clock appeared on a mantle.

"Your Majesty," he said with a bow. "May I ask permission to move my family into the castle for the duration of this crisis?" Alan lived in Arendelle Village, unlike the other Councilors who had estates further away. Because of his home's proximity, he was the only one who didn't already have rooms in the castle. He went home every night.

"Of course you can. I should have offered before you had to ask," Elsa replied.

"I'd hoped for your permission. May I introduce you to them?" Alan asked.

Elsa nodded. She vaguely remembered seeing them at the ice skating party, and was ashamed she didn't know his wife and children already.

Chief Steward Kai bowed Alan's family into the room. Lady Charlotte was a short, plump woman with hair the color of brown sugar and eyes four shades darker. She smiled cheerfully and chirped out a greeting, not at all intimidated by the castle. Alan's oldest son, Zander, was a strapping lad of about eighteen with Alan's round cheeks and his mother's coloring. He topped his father by a couple of inches. Elsa glanced at his hands and assumed he was following his father's craft. There were two more sons in their middle teens, Erik and Don, a daughter on the brink of womanhood named Sophronia, and another daughter still in a pinafore and hair ribbons who scowled when her father introduced her as Matilda and insisted that she be called Tilly.

Elsa greeted them, her mind beginning to realize something they had all entirely overlooked because the crisis had taken shape so quickly. "Why have we not offered shelter to anyone in the village who chooses to come?" she asked as she turned to the others in the room.

"We had hoped to ask for room at the castle for my sisters and their families too," Alan said.

"Yes, of course. Your sisters, neighbors, anyone who wants to come. Bern, how can we get the word out throughout Arendelle Village that the castle is offering shelter? You take that assignment. Kai, please fetch Gerda for me. We need to get rooms set up, and decide how we'll feed people. Marda, you work with Gerda on that. I'm sure the two of you could feed an army if you put your heads together. Harold, you know Milgard, the castle physician. Send for him and work out a place where we can care for the wounded or any of the villagers who might be sick. Anna, you coordinate with Marda and Harold on deciding what we need and where we need it. Rodmund, Gustav, you come with me to get the ballroom ready. We can dedicate the entire first floor of the castle to the villagers." Elsa reeled off orders.

Lady Charlotte curtsied. "Your Majesty, I know most of Arendelle Village by sight and many by name. I can greet people as they come in and assess needs, perhaps help people settle in and know where to go."

"Of course that's the best assignment for me, as well, and for the same reason," Alan said. "And Bern, Zander can help you spread the word. He knows Arendelle Village as well as you do." Zander puffed up with pride to have such an important assignment as Lady Charlotte gave her husband a sharp look.

"Where are the rest of your families? Do they need protection?" Elsa asked her Councilors.

Gustav shook his head. "I don't want Adele and the girls traveling with the mountainside full of Hamarians. They'll be safe enough with the gates shut. I have several men at my estate who can defend them."

"Mirabelle is at Gustav's estate. She spends more time with Adele than she does at home, now that our youngest daughter is married and gone," Rodmund said.

"My grandsons and their families live in Arendelle Village," Harold said. "Bern, make sure they come to the castle."

"My father can't travel," Bern said. "My parents will stay at our estate."

"I have four sons cut from the same cloth as Kristoff," Marda said drily. "I'm sure they'll stay at the ranch and fight the whole Hamarian army by themselves if need be."

Lieutenant Almar and Gerry were exchanging worried looks and Elsa finally asked them, "What is it?"

"Your safety, your Majesty," Almar said with a bow. "If you and Princess Anna would consent to remaining on the second and third floors, away from the villagers, it would be easier to protect you."

"Most certainly not," Elsa said. "We'll go where we're needed. You just stay on your toes."

"Yes, your Majesty," Almar said with another bow.

"Let's get to work," Elsa told them.

They pressed everyone in the castle into service, the kitchen maids, upstairs maids and downstairs maids, grooms, butlers, serving men, the washerwomen, the castle page and runners. The castle came alive with activity and the hours flew by.

Elsa was walking down the lower east corridor with Almar and Henny, one of the laundry women, opening rooms that were musty from disuse and deciding where they could put people, when she ran into Anna coming the other direction, trailed by Gerry. Her sleeves were rolled up and she had dirt smudged along her cheekbone. Wisps of hair were escaping her braids.

"How are things going?" Elsa asked her, wondering if she looked that worn out. She certainly felt like it. It felt good to be exhausted from hard work rather than tense with useless boredom.

Anna brightened up and poured out a string of information. "Marda is boiling entire cauldrons of barley soup and baking trays of salt crackers. You would not believe how fast Marda can roll out a tray of salt crackers. Gerda is arguing with Milgard because he wants to rip up all her sheets and towels for bandages. Harold is running interference and trying to decide whether it would be cheaper to replace all the towels or all the sheets. And I'm just trying to keep my head from falling off. I had no idea I could make so many decisions this fast! Is this really happening?"

"Well, nothing is happening yet. We're just preparing things. It's all going to depend on what's going on up on the mountain. I wish I knew what Kristoff was doing," Elsa said.

"I don't!" Anna said, yanking on her braids in frustration. "I'm not thinking about it at all. I don't want to have any idea what he's doing! I'm sure if I knew what he was doing, I'd chew off my fingernails clear back to my elbows."

* * *

><p><strong>Many thanks for the reviews! I hope you're enjoying this. <strong>


	18. Chapter 18 - Avalanche Pass

**Chapter 18 – From Avalanche Pass to Winding Creek**

Trixie, Dixie, Pixie and Vixie bounced eagerly in the back of Kristoff's empty sled.

"Quit bouncing. Hear that sound? It's wood splintering. If you girls break through the planks, you fall out and that doesn't do me any good at all," Kristoff told them. He was on the bench, holding Sven's reins as the sled glided silently around the peak and to the top of Avalanche Pass, transverse to the fall line.

"But this is so fun!" Trixie insisted, coming down with a crack of wood. He flinched just a bit at the damage to his new sled. He hadn't even had it for a full season yet.

"It'll be a lot more fun if you get to ride in the sled instead of sitting in the snow under the sled," Kristoff pointed out.

"Sometimes he says things that make sense," Vixie observed.

"I'm right here. I can hear you," Kristoff said. He pulled Sven to a stop and climbed down from the sled to look around.

Sven snorted and pawed at the ground in impatience.

"Steady, boy," Kristoff told him. "We'll get it done soon enough. This one's for Anna."

Sven turned and gave Kristoff a serious look with a nod. He chuffed at the trolls who were giggling and pushing each other as they fought for the best seat. "Yeah, I know," Kristoff said. "I need them for ballast though. An empty sled might not weigh enough."

Kristoff climbed a pile of boulders. He saw a distant column of men approaching on foot from the east, clothes dark against the white snow, accompanied by horse-drawn supply wagons. They were coming from the direction of Webber Pass, which meant the trolls who were imitating an impassable rockslide had done their job. The Hamarians were looking for the only other route through the mountains that didn't require four days of backtracking to go around by Piney Ridge. They'd be in Avalanche Pass in about thirty minutes, he judged, which meant they were close enough to watch what he was going to do. He climbed back onto his sled and flipped the reins. "Go, Sven!" Sven was already running.

"Hold still, girls!" Kristoff shouted over his shoulder. Sven was at a full gallop, pulling hard against the deep snow. The temperature hadn't dropped when the clouds cleared out, and the day's sunshine had worked on the snow, compacting the powder into a heavy, wetter layer as it melted just enough to stick together better. Sven's hooves weren't shaking the snow hard enough.

"All right girls, on my mark, you all jump together, but try not to splinter the bed!" Kristoff called to the trolls. "Ready! And jump!" The four trolls jumped and came down together. He heard the wood crack, and then hold. Anna had bought him a really solid sled, and he hoped she'd approve of what he was doing with it. Added to Sven's pounding hooves and the cuts the sled runners were making, the impact from the trolls shook the fracture line enough that it began to open. A deep rumble started under them. The rumble receded, then came back stronger.

Kristoff could see the fracture line start to open up in front of Sven as the snowpack let go of the slope and started its deadly descent. Now they were in a race with the avalanche, trying to get ahead of the widening gap in the snow. "Jump, girls! Get out of the sled!" he hollered at them.

Shouting with glee, Trixie, Dixie, Pixie and Vixie jumped out of the sled with a deep popping sound, somersaulted in the air, and landed in the avalanche. "Whee!" they shrieked as they rode the collapsing snowpack down the mountain.

With the lighter sled, Sven put on a burst of speed and got ahead of the line appearing in the splitting snowpack. "Go, Sven!" They were going to make it! The rumble hit a crescendo, so loud it vibrated Kristoff's earbones and the fracture line got ahead of them again.

Kristoff felt the sled start to slide down the mountain as the runners got caught in the sliding snow. He pulled his knife, got up on the front board of the sled, slashed the harness and leaped, pushing off the sled with his feet. The extra momentum propelled him forward and he landed on Sven's back as the avalanche took his new sled and spun it into cartwheels, splintering it into painted blue pieces as it followed the trolls down the mountainside.

Sven gave a powerful leap straight up the hill and got them above the fracture line. He bucked Kristoff off his back to land even higher up the mountain as he skidded into a roll and landed on his haunches. He turned to watch the avalanche.

Kristoff landed face down in the snow and came up coughing. He grabbed his gray hat and brushed off the snow layer that covered his wool shirt and sheepskin vest. In two steps, he was next to Sven, hanging onto him as they watched the avalanche disappear down the mountainside and into the immense cloud of snow and dust it kicked up as it reached the bottom of the pass. The rumble was so loud and deep that it left their ears ringing even after it faded away into the winter air.

Sven turned to Kristoff and gave a mighty bleat, then started bucking and kicking in a circle around Kristoff. "You are totally right!" Kristoff hollered back, beating on Sven's gyrating back with his fists in excitement. "We have got to do that again soon!"

They hung onto each other, laughing with the adrenaline rush. Then Sven gave a questioning bellow.

Kristoff shrugged. "Elsa owes me a new sled, I guess. Come on, let's get to Bear Rock Point." He swung up onto Sven's back and they galloped down the cleared slope. Nothing but silence floated up from the bottom of the pass.

~###~

When Kristoff reached Winding Creek by Bear Rock Point, Hoff, Bagley and Roark had already gotten the lady trolls to cooperate with being a dam. Winding Creek wasn't much more than a stream at this time of year, and the pool behind the trolls was small. Bagley and Roark were dragging fallen logs over and throwing them into the water behind the wall of trolls. The trolls were more tight-fitting than ordinary rocks, and there was hardly anything leaking through the new dam.

"Kristoff!" Bulda called from her place in the dam. "Tell them to stop putting things in the water! They're getting it all dirty! How are we supposed to take a bath with them ruining our water like that?"

Roark stopped and stared.

"It's good enough, guys," Kristoff told them. Bagley dropped his tree branch and threw his hands in the air, muttering about whether it was crazier to take orders from rocks or from Kristoff.

Pone and Chone popped up out of the dirt. "They're still clear back behind those hills over there. How come they're so slow?" Pone asked.

"It's fine. The longer they take, the deeper the pool gets," Kristoff told them. "I need you guys to help me make some mud."

"Mud? This bath is getting dirtier and dirtier," Mulda complained.

Pixie, Dixie, Vixie and Trixie popped out of the ground and rolled around, bumping into Pone and Chone. "That was so fun! Can we make an avalanche again next week?"

"How come we didn't get to ride the avalanche?" Pone and Chone whined.

"You get to ride the river," Kristoff said. "Pile on the dam. When the water lets go, I want you kids to burrow just under the surface and chew up the ground into soft loam. See how many bad guys you can knock down, okay? By the time you're finished, I want this place to be an impassable swamp."

"And now the kids are in the bath?" Sulda said.

Bagley walked up and shook Kristoff's shoulder. "Life is a lot easier when the rocks don't talk," he said.

"We can hear you," Bulda said with a sniff. "Our life is a lot easier when Kristoff doesn't talk either."

"Yeah, but it's a lot more fun now, isn't it?" Kristoff replied with a grin and a double-blink.

"You do that wrong," Mulda told him.

"I'm just here because of the wedding," Bulda said.

"Wedding?" Bagley asked.

"Ignore that," Kristoff said. "Hey, Trixie! I need you to take a message to the castle for me!"

"How come you always pick her?" Vixie howled.

"You're taking the next message," Kristoff promised her. He crouched down to be eye level to Trixie. "Do you know where the castle is?"

"Duh, we watched them build it, remember?" Trixie said with a roll of her eyes.

Vixie jabbed her with a stone elbow. "That wasn't with him. That was with Punky."

"Who's Punky?" Kristoff asked.

"The cockroach that Bulda was raising," Vixie said. "Bulda adopts anything that wanders into the Valley of the Living Rock, you know."

"She does?" Kristoff asked.

"Your blonde hair is cuter than Punky's antennas!" Bulda called out from the dam.

"You're my favorite of them all," Trixie assured him. "I'm your favorite too, right?"

Vixie sniffed. "You're still jealous because Punky liked me best."

Kristoff heard the vibration of another troll tunnel, and Grand Pabbie erupted out of the ground. He shook his head and the dirt fell off his long grass hair. With a shake of his shoulders, he settled his moss robe into place. "Kristoff, what have you been doing?"

"Not a whole lot," Kristoff said.

Grand Pabbie raised his eyebrows at him and sighed. "You're a natural disaster waiting to happen."

"If you knew what I was doing, why did you ask? Can we talk about this later? I need to get Trixie on her way," Kristoff said.

"When is my message?" Vixie howled, and rolled over his foot.

"After the flood, okay? Ouch! Stop that! Listen. Here's the message, okay?" Kristoff repeated it several times, then had Trixie repeat it back until they knew it word for word. "Give the message to Anna. You remember Anna?"

"The one you're going to marry!" Trixie yelled.

"You can leave that part out, okay? Let me talk to her about it first," Kristoff said.

"Oh, sure, we won't say anything," Trixie assured him. Vixie nodded too. They looked at him and double-blinked.

"On your way, then," Kristoff said.

Trixie dove down into the dirt and disappeared.

~###~

As the column of Hamarian mercenaries got closer to Bear Rock Point, Kristoff shushed the trolls and sent the ice harvesters to go finish freeze lining Tanner's Wash. He was pretty sure that after he was done with them here, these Hamarians wouldn't get any further than Tanner's Wash before they'd set up camp for the night. Blue sky still hung over them, but clouds crowded the horizon and the weather was still warm enough that they might get more snow tomorrow.

"Up the hill with you, buddy," Kristoff told Sven, slapping him on the rump. "I don't want you caught in the flood."

Sven snorted a worried question at him.

"I'm going to climb a tree. Someone has to be here to tell the ladies when to jump down and let the river roll," Kristoff said. As Sven went looking for higher ground, Kristoff picked his way up the hill to see if the Hamarians were in sight yet. He found Olaf hiding behind a tree with a big pile of snowballs.

"Kristoff, when I can start throwing snowballs?" Olaf asked him.

"When the water gets to them. We don't want to draw their attention to what's up the hill behind them until the flood lets go. That's quite a pile of snowballs you've got," Kristoff complimented him.

"Do you want to see what I did?" Olaf said in a conspiratorial whisper, looking around to make sure they weren't being observed. "Look at this." Olaf broke open a snowball to show Kristoff the pebble in the middle.

"Whoa, buddy, you've got a mean streak," Kristoff said, rubbing his head.

"These guys are going to try and hurt Elsa and Anna. That means no more Mr. Nice Guy," Olaf said with the worst scowl his face could produce.

"Yeah, me too," Kristoff said.

"Does that mean you're not going to make me take the rocks out?" Olaf asked.

"Nope, I'm not. You can even use bigger rocks if you want," Kristoff told him. "I'm going to climb a tree. You stay out of the water, all right? I don't think that snow cloud of yours could keep you together in a flood, even if the water is as cold as Winding Creek is right now."

"Okay, Kristoff. Hey, Chone and Rhone! Come with me!" Olaf ran up the hillside with Chone and Rhone rolling after him.

Kristoff hiked up the hill until he was parallel with the troll dam and found an elm tree that was usually a couple of yards up the bank from the river, but that now had water lapping two feet up its trunk. He jumped from the dry land to catch a branch without getting his boots wet, chinned himself, and shimmied down the branch to the tree trunk and climbed up several branches higher. From his perch, he could see Bear Rock Point and the floor of the ravine at the same time. The ravine took a sharp turn south and downhill at Bear Rock Point, then opened out into a wider wash that never flooded except during spring runoff. Hiking alongside Winding Creek was typically a safe place to be. With the creek dammed, the creek bottom looked like an inviting place to walk. The creekbed was rocky, not muddy, and it was drying out in the afternoon sunshine as the trolls kept the river from flowing. The water that had flowed during the snowstorm had kept the creekbed free from snow.

He looked over at the troll dam. Most of the kids had joined in and piled up the dam even higher. The ice cold water of Winding Creek was still half a troll away from the top. He was scanning the top line of rocks and counting kids when he looked a little closer, and then smiled. Grand Pabbie was up there too. He saw Kristoff looking at him and gave him a shrug and a resigned look. It looked like Zulda had gone to sleep. Bulda caught his eye, pointed at her ring finger, and gave him a thumbs up. Kristoff returned it, thinking that stopping an army was going to be a lot easier than talking to Anna when this was all over.

The first of the Hamarian column came into view, and started down the steeply pitched slope by the rock that gave Bear Rock Point its name. They wore ice harvester boots, and the warm tunics and sheepskin that all of them wore. But where an ice harvester would have an ordinary belt knife and maybe an axe tied into his sash, the Hamarian mercenaries wore scabbards and swords. Some of them carried spears and bayonets. Kristoff's jaw tightened with disgust. It was one thing to fight when you had a cause you believed in, but to work terror and mayhem among his friends for money was unthinkable. He felt no guilt at all about keeping people like that from overrunning Arendelle Village and trying to get to the castle. Better he wipe them out now than risk any of them surviving to threaten Elsa or Anna, or any of his friends in the village.

It didn't take long for a couple hundred men who were moving fast to keep warm to get past Bear Rock Point and into the creek bottom. Just as he'd hoped, lots of them abandoned the snowy path along the creek bed to walk along the river bottom. He waited until the last of them were in the creek bottom.

"Jump down! Let it go!" Kristoff cupped his hands around his mouth and called to the trolls.

Mulda yawned. "Can we finish our nap first?"

The first of the soldiers reached the next bend and started to disappear out of his sight. "Those guys are going to try and hurt Anna. I can't marry Anna unless you stop them," Kristoff told her. "And that has to happen right now!"

"You humans are always in a hurry," Mulda complained.

She was interrupted by Bulda's battle cry as she popped out of the dam and somersaulted down to the ground. Water gushed through the breach, and then all the trolls were spinning out of the dam with a series of deep pops and gleeful yells. The pool of water leaped out of its prison and gushed into its riverbed, cresting higher than spring runoff, tumbling the trolls along. Several of the trolls went underground and mud began to vomit up into the flood as they chewed up the rock and dirt with their tunnels.

Kristoff was close enough to see the faces of the Hamarians in the rear as they turned and saw what was coming at them. They looked a lot like Anna did when Oslin was smothering her. But these guys got to scream, at least. Anna hadn't even been able to do that much. _Stay out of my country and away from Anna and her sister_, Kristoff thought bleakly. _You didn't have to come here_.

A few of them had time to climb the steep riverbank, shouting warnings. Others were swept off their feet and swept away, grabbing for overhanging tree branches and rocks to stop themselves from being tumbled further downstream. A supply wagon got caught in the stream and turned crosswise to the river's flow, jamming between boulders and forming its own dam. A Hamarian cut the harness straps and the horses lurched free of the wagon and climbed the hillside with the soldiers.

The rumble of the water began to die down as the flood surge flattened out and headed downhill, but then another rumble started coming from uphill, accompanied by the sound of branches cracking and breaking. Olaf was running down the mountain, chasing an enormous snowball that was getting bigger with every revolution, Chone and Rhone keeping pace with it. It was half the size of a house and still growing. The snowball hit an outcropping of rock and spun into the air, landed in the creek, and kept rolling. It bounced up against the jammed supply wagon and stopped for an instant, then the force of the snow-covered boulder and the water was too much, and the supply wagon exploded in a shower of splintered wood and weapons.

Soldiers dove for cover from the wagon's mayhem, then scrambled further up the hillside as the cold water froze the boulder's snow covering to ice and propelled it down the steep creek bed. It bounced out of sight, but yells and the sound of things breaking floated back to Kristoff, still sitting in the elm tree, a little stunned at the scope of the disaster he'd set off. It was going to take them all day to regroup, warm up and dry out. He wondered if they would get as far as Tanner's Wash, or if he would have to make new plans.

Olaf stopped under Kristoff's tree while Chone and Rhone gave shouts of excitement and dove under the ground to go make more mud and see how many soldiers they could trip. He looked up at Kristoff, and it would have been hard to say which one of them looked more shocked. "You said I could use a bigger rock," Olaf told him.

"I think you would have done less damage if I'd just given you a sword," Kristoff replied, still a bit breathless at what he'd just witnessed.

Olaf brightened. "So I can have a sword now?"

"You just blew up an entire wagon full of swords," Kristoff said, gesturing to the wreckage of the supply wagon. "That's yours if you want it. I'm going to stay out of your way."

Vixie popped up out of the ground. "I made seventeen humans fall over and I'm all done now. What message do you want me to take to the castle?"

Kristoff gave her a message and sent her on her way.

"Go get your sword, Olaf, and let's get going. We've got some bonfires to build," Kristoff said.

"I love fire!" Olaf announced.

Olaf fetched himself a sword. The two of them headed up the hill to find Sven and get to Aspen Ridge, overlooking Tanner's Wash, where Kristoff hoped Zak had a catapult waiting for them.


	19. Chapter 19 - Trixie, Vixie and Vilrun

**Chapter 19 – Trixie, Vixie and Vilrun**

Vixie rolled along in the subterranean limestone, zipping quickly down the mountainside towards the shoreline where Arendelle Village nestled next to its harbor. She didn't often get this much space to herself, so when she heard someone else in a neighboring limestone vein, it surprised her. With a deep pop of troll magic, Vixie jumped limestone veins and ran into Trixie.

"You!" Vixie said in surprise. "You're supposed to be at the castle already!"

"I can't find it," Trixie said with as much dignity as she could muster. "There's something wrong with the ground here."

"You haven't been here since they built the castle, have you?" Vixie demanded.

"I don't like the castle," Trixie said.

"If you hadn't fallen asleep when you did, they wouldn't have mortared you into the wall," Vixie pointed out. "What's wrong with the ground here?"

"I can't get through it," Trixie said.

Vixie jumped limestone veins again and headed towards the surface. "Did you try to come up under the paving stones? You know once the humans mess with the ground we can't get through it. Let's get out on the hillside and roll to the castle."

"That's slower," Trixie objected.

"Not as slow as sitting here," Vixie called back as she broke through into open air.

~###~

"It won't do anyone any good if the two of you collapse from hunger," Councilor Marda told Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, guiding them over to the kitchen trestle table and sitting them down in front of bowls of barley soup and salt crackers and mugs of apple juice. "Eat."

They ate. For such plain fare, it tasted surprisingly good. They had both nearly finished a second bowl when Kai found them.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, and Lady Councilor," he said with a bow. "Lord Councilor Vilrun has returned from Arendelle Village and wishes to make his report at your earliest convenience. He awaits you in the council room."

"We're on our way now," Elsa replied. "Please notify the rest of the Councilors."

Kai bowed again and went to find the rest of the Councilors.

Elsa took a last sip of apple juice. Anna gulped down the rest of the soup as Marda took off her apron and handed over the rolling pin to one of the kitchen maids. The three of them left the kitchen and the servants who had spent the day in surprise to have such high-ranking women bustling in and out of an area where they were rarely seen.

After the day's work, the first level of the castle, with the kitchens, formal dining room, ballroom, throne room, and wings of spare rooms and parlors, was well on its way to being ready to house most of Arendelle Village, if they chose to come. So far, only a few stragglers had drifted in, and they seemed more curious than anything else. The second level of the castle, with the council room, library, and various sitting rooms and living suites, was unchanged by the developing crisis.

Elsa climbed the stairs, still listening to Marda talk about what they could use from the castle larder and what they could do without. Guardsmen Riks and Almar trailed them. They'd both just come on shift as their bodyguards and had spent most of their time so far helping them move furniture. Vilrun was outside the council room, giving instructions to Gerry. He turned towards them as Gerry saluted and left.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Councilor Marda," he greeted them. "I assume there has still been no word from Kristoff?"

"I'm sure he'll send word soon," Anna said.

"Of course," Vilrun replied.

Elsa heard the barely concealed cynicism in his tone and felt her own spirits fall. She'd pinned so much hope on Kristoff. He said he'd win the war for her, and she'd let herself believe him. If Kristoff couldn't stop the army, then she wasn't going to sit in the castle and let Gerhard's forces overrun them while the Castle Guards fought to the death. She'd stayed so busy today she'd been able to forget for hours at a time. She looked at her hands, slim in their fitted gloves. If only she could be sure that her desperate measures would stay in the bounds she chose, and that she wouldn't unleash a force that would destroy all of Arendelle. Again. _Please, Kristoff_, she thought. _Please, I don't want to do it_.

When all of them had gathered, Vilrun made his report of Captain Torvin's preparations to defend Arendelle Village. Elsa looked around the council table and knew she wasn't the only one who could tell how bleak things were right now. No one suggested she take part in defending Arendelle Village, and she didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed.

There was a knock at the door and Guardsman Gerry entered, carrying several swords and other weapons.

"Just as a final precaution, I suggest the rest of you choose a weapon," Vilrun said. He already had a sword belted around his uniform coat.

When Elsa nodded, the group around the table rose and walked over. Vilrun accompanied them, assessing them with a critical eye and then handing them a weapon. Gustav and Alan each got a saber, Rodmund received a wide-edged dress sword, Harold accepted a dagger with hands that were stiff with arthritis. Even Marda buckled on a foil.

When Vilrun handed Bern a double-edged short sword he looked at it for a moment, then said with embarrassment, "Could someone show me how to use it?"

Gerry's eyebrows nearly met the edge of his guardsman's hat.

"My mother didn't approve of swordplay," Bern admitted, his neck and ears turning red.

Vilrun jerked his head towards the corner of the room. "Gerry, show him the basics."

Gerry deposited the rest of the weapons on the bench seat under the window. He and Bern pulled a few chairs out of the way and Gerry started to demonstrate how to hold and swing a sword.

Vilrun approached Anna, holding a dagger with a jeweled hilt across his arm. He bowed and offered it to her hilt first. Anna took the dagger, looking like she wanted to cry. "What if it comes to this?" she asked Elsa.

Elsa couldn't meet her eyes.

"Your Majesty, I assume you don't?" Vilrun trailed off the question without finishing it.

"No, I don't," Elsa replied.

Chief Steward Kai came to the door of the council room and took in the activity before addressing them. "Your Majesty, there is something here asking for Princess Anna, I believe." He looked confused.

There was a rumble in the corridor behind him, and two large mossy rocks rolled into the room, scratching the finish on the polished wood floor. Anna dropped her dagger on the table in excitement. "Kristoff finally sent word!"

Kai stared at her. "Of course he did. He took the talking snowman, so he sent a talking rock. I shall go ask Gerda if she intends to pass messages by talking potato in the future."

Harold clapped him on the shoulder. "Potatoes don't talk, man. Take a break. I think the stress is getting to you."

The two stones rolled onto the soft pink carpet and unrolled into little gray limestone people with grass tufts for hair, big noses and ears, and green moss dresses. One bent over to stare at the rug under her feet while the other one examined the stones on the hearth.

The first one walked over to the table and patted the carved and lacquered leg. "It used to be a tree, didn't it?" she asked. Then she flipped into the air with a deep popping sound and landed on the table. Leaving scratches in the finish with every step, she walked down the length of the table and stared at Vilrun as intently as he was staring at her. Finally, she said, "If you had more stone in your face, your cheeks wouldn't look like that."

"I beg your pardon!" Vilrun said.

"Did Kristoff send you?" Anna asked them.

At Kristoff's name, the spell of unfamiliarity wore off and they both noticeably relaxed.

"Of course he did," said the one who was still on the floor. "We wouldn't be here otherwise. You've done strange things here. I'm Trixie, and this is Vixie. I remember you, Anna. Your hair is a different color now."

"Yes, it's the right color now," Anna said, sitting down on the divan and bending over to be eye level with Trixie, who was still taking experimental steps in the carpet's deep pile.

"My hair is only ever this color," Trixie said, patting the green grass that sprouted from her gray limestone head. "I put a flower in it. Does it look nice?"

"Stop preening and tell them what Kristoff told you to say," Vixie ordered her from the tabletop. "Your message is first."

Trixie gave Vixie a glare, pulled herself up, and recited in a fast singsong, "Gerhard had about four hundred men total, divided into two groups. The second group just got trapped on the wrong side of an avalanche. By the way, tell Elsa she owes me a new sled. Hoping they quit and go home after we burn their supply wagons tonight because they are four days march from Arendelle and won't have any food by the time we get done with them. The first group of men already got through Webber Pass. Will send an update."

"I'm the update!" Vixie announced, and she chimed in. "Flooded out the soldiers who got through Webber Pass. Lots of broken bones and injuries. They're scattered and cold and Olaf smashed some of their supply wagons. Hoping they make it to Tanner's Wash to camp tonight so we can set fire to it. Maybe a hundred and thirty men left who could fight. Hope there will be fewer by the morning. No one could reach Arendelle before noon tomorrow even if things don't go as planned tonight. Will send an update."

"Avalanche?" said Rodmund.

"Flood?" said Gustav.

"Fire?" said Alan.

Trixie nodded. "Grand Pabbie says Kristoff is a natural disaster."

Vixie nodded too. "Bulda says Kristoff is a natural blonde."

"What exactly did Olaf do?" Bern asked.

"There was a snowball. It was kind of big," Vixie said.

"What happened to his sled?" Elsa asked. Unlike her, it appeared Kristoff had no qualms about unleashing devastating amounts of destruction.

"The avalanche got it. We all jumped out, then Kristoff cut his sled loose and it came down the mountain with us. Kristoff and Sven stayed at the top because they're boring. Whee!" Vixie said, rolling off the table onto the floor, prancing around at the memory.

"Why was he anywhere near an avalanche?" Anna said, going pale.

"He started the avalanche," Vixie replied. "He does things like that."

"Yeah! It wasn't too much different than when Kristoff takes us all ice blocking down Calamity Peak," Trixie said.

"You should come with us this year!" Vixie hollered at Anna, and they began bouncing and popping around her in a circle.

"I'm not sure I want to go ice blocking anywhere named Calamity Peak," Anna said, turning in a circle to try and keep both of them in view.

"Oh, Kristoff named it, so we can change it if you want. How about Daisy Hill?" Trixie said.

"That's a great idea! Ever since we ice blocked all the trees flat, there's lots of room for the daisies to grow!" Vixie said. "Do you want to come ice blocking on Daisy Hill with us?"

"Um, no," said Anna.

"A cockroach would do it," Trixie said with a sulk.

"How come Bulda wants Kristoff to marry her anyway?" Vixie asked in a loud stage whisper.

Trixie hit her. "Kristoff said not to tell her."

Vixie hit her back. "Kristoff said not to tell her that Bulda only agreed to help fight the bad guys if he agreed to marry her. I didn't tell her that part. She already knew Bulda wants her to marry Kristoff. Duh. Weren't you there when she came to the grotto with him and Cliff started the wedding ceremony?"

Trixie hit her again. "Well, you just told her now!"

"You tricked me into it!" Vixie accused.

Anna was turning red.

"You saw all this take place?" Vilrun interrupted to ask.

Vixie launched into an excited explanation. "Well, yes. Kristoff asked Bulda to help him, and she sat down and wouldn't budge until he agreed to ask Anna to marry him. And then Kristoff said he could ask her, but she might not say yes. And Bulda said to bring her back to the grotto, and . . ."

"I didn't mean that," Vilrun interrupted again. "Did you see what Kristoff did to the soldiers?"

"I didn't see the flood, just the avalanche," Trixie said.

"I saw both!" Vixie announced.

Vilrun cleared his throat and started asking questions, pulling every detail from them that they remembered. Anna frequently got up to walk away, and then came back. The rest of them sat transfixed as Trixie and Vixie related the story in bits and pieces, with many pauses for interruptions and bickering. The first laughter was shock at the sheer audacity of it all, but soon they were slapping each other on the back, looking around for someone else who was grinning, and exclaiming at the good news as Trixie, Vixie and Vilrun talked.

Vilrun finally sat back. "By Jove! He's done it! He's actually done it! And if they're down to only a hundred and thirty men, the battle is as good as won. I'd back our guardsman on three to one odds any time! Your Highness," he said, catching Anna's eye. "I admit I questioned your judgment in sending Kristoff off without proper orders, but I'm happy I'm wrong. I'm thrilled to be wrong! Gerhard must be mad enough to spit nails by this time!"

"I can spit rocks," Trixie offered.

"Would you, uh, girls be willing to come into the village with me? I've got tell all of this to Captain Torvin, and he won't believe a word I say if he doesn't see you with his own eyes," Vilrun said. "If that meets with your approval of course, your Majesty. I apologize, my excitement ran away with me."

"By all means, take them to meet Torvin. Send at least one of them back to Kristoff and let him know what's going on here when you get a chance," Elsa replied. She couldn't keep from smiling either. "Do you think we should change any of the preparations we're making, based on this information?"

Vilrun shook his head. "I'd still like to evacuate Arendelle Village into the castle. The fact that we'll win the fight doesn't mean our citizens can't get hurt if they're in the wrong place. Knowing the timeline is valuable. We can step up the evacuation first thing tomorrow morning, since we have until noon or early afternoon before they can get here."

"I'll accept your recommendation," Elsa said.

Vilrun bowed to Elsa, then he bowed to Trixie and Vixie. "Would you accompany me?"

"Bye, Anna!" Trixie and Vixie chirped, then they rolled back up into rocks and left with Vilrun.

Elsa looked at Anna. She was sitting on the divan next to the fireplace, arms folded and lips pinched together, still bright red.

"I did not know we had such creatures in Arendelle," Rodmund said.

"I've heard shepherds tell stories, but I didn't believe them," Marda contributed.

"This is the first I've known of them as well," said Gustav. "Princess Anna, you've seen them before?"

"Yes, and I do not like them at all!" Anna burst out. "It was Grand Pabbie's bad advice that cut me off from Elsa for thirteen years. Then when Kristoff and I went to ask them for help, they tried to marry us off instead. And you should have heard the way they talked about him! They dumped out every odd or strange thing about him they could think of! If they ever talk about him like that again, I'll kick them!"

Elsa went over and sat down next to Anna, putting an arm around her shoulder. The tension and exhaustion of the day broke through and Anna started to cry. "He's setting off avalanches and floods, Elsa! What if he gets hurt? Why won't he be careful? If he gets back from this war alive, I'll kill him myself!"

One by one, everyone in the room quietly filed out, except for Riks and Almar, who stood as far away as they could to give the sisters some privacy.

Eventually, Elsa walked Anna to her room. Gerda was busy, so Elsa helped Anna into her nightgown and sat in the chair next to her bed while Anna talked and cried.

"This is more than sisterly concern, isn't it?" Elsa asked gently.

Anna always got the hiccups when she cried too hard. "I wish it wasn't," she hiccupped. "I wish I could make my heart do what my head tells it to do. It worked for a few days, and then he came back! I hope he marries Tyra, I really do. It would be so much easier to figure out how to get over Kristoff than to figure out how to love him. Needing him will always make me cry, I think. He'll never need me back, not like I need to be needed anyway."

Elsa didn't have an answer for her. In matters of the heart, as in most things besides government, Anna was miles ahead of Elsa's experience. Anna already knew that Kristoff was independent to the point of isolation. All Elsa could do was hug her and find her a dry handkerchief once in a while. Anna finally fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion.

Riks was in his station outside Anna's door as Elsa walked down the carpeted hall to her own room, followed by Almar. Almar checked her room and sitting room, then saluted and shut the door behind her. It was going to be such a relief when this crisis had passed and they didn't need to be followed everywhere.

Elsa didn't go to bed. She paced through her sitting room, wishing she could stop thinking. The rag basket Gerda had left here yesterday was still on her dresser, with a lump of rags next to it. She picked it up, and found herself holding a lopsided flower. The petals were different shapes and lengths, but the pattern of colors repeated at regular intervals. Olaf had woven her a flower from the rag rug she didn't know how to make. He'd kept vigil with her the day after she tried to end it all, and now he was up there with Kristoff, apparently making a major contribution to fighting the war.

She sat on the window seat, hugging Olaf's flower, where she couldn't see the mountain because of the night. It was out there, though, full of danger for the people she loved. She was ashamed of her selfishness. She'd felt nothing but relief when the trolls had given their report, and hadn't spared a thought for the danger Kristoff was in. It hadn't sounded like he was paying much attention to danger either, but that made Anna more worried about him, not less. It was only two days ago that Elsa agreed that this war was worth fighting. But at what cost? What if it cost them Kristoff?

And what about the rest of them? Surely there were men in the Castle Guard who had sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, wives, children and sweethearts who worried about them just as Anna worried about Kristoff. What if one of them died while she sat in the castle with her hands in gloves?

Elsa pulled off her glove and rested her fingertips against the cold glass of the window. Frost spread out and covered the glass, further obscuring the mountain and its threat.


	20. Chapter 20 - Fire in the Night

**Author Note: I've made an assumption that it turns out no one else made, and I haven't been able to write the explanation into the story anywhere until after it matters. So, please forgive this clunky paragraph, but I'm just going to tell you something that's different from other Frozen stories: When Elsa thawed the fjord at the end of the movie, she thawed every bit of ice and snow that came from her fear and anger and isolation. That included Marshmallow, who was presumably still in the crevasse by her palace. Olaf didn't sparkle away because she created him out of love. Her palace is still there, because that was also a creation of love and happiness. But Marshmallow was created when she was rejecting Anna and enforcing her own isolation and despair. He's gone because she now accepts Anna's love and help, and so has rejected Marshmallow instead. That was my take on that question anyway.**

**None of that matters in this chapter, but it's important soon, so I thought I would let you know and not leave you all scratching your heads and wondering what I'm talking about. I read a whole bunch of other Frozen stories before I realized I'm the only one who assumes Marshmallow disappeared in the Great Thaw. Oh well. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20 – Fire in the Night<strong>

Lito was snoring noisily, snuggled up against Hatch for warmth, when Duff woke him up. Furball was crossways to Hatch, and Rolf had his head draped over Hatch's front legs. With three reindeer in the cave, it was as warm as any ice harvester shack, although Lito did miss the hay. They'd packed Furball with as much as they could carry from the cave at Tunnel Hollow, but the reindeer had to get by on forage, since the cave didn't have any hay.

"The moon is a handspan above the horizon. If we're going to do this before it sets, we go now," Duff whispered.

Lito nodded and stretched. It had taken them all day yesterday to climb the ridge and get back down to the other side of Avalanche Pass where Kristoff had blocked the second group of Hamarian mercenaries from getting through. They'd tracked them as they'd gone back to Snowshoe Falls, and then headed south. If they held their course, they would get to Piney Ridge in a day and a half, and then two days after that, they'd be in Arendelle. Right now, the mercenaries were camped in a meadow. Lito didn't really know where they were right now, since they didn't come this way very often.

Duff helped him get the harnesses off Hatch, Rolf and Furball. Lito swung a bag of coal and tinder over his back and tucked his slingshot into his sash. Duff took the second bag of coal, a bucket and shovel, and a small jar of lamp oil they'd taken from the cave at Tunnel Hollow.

The full moon bathed the snowy mountain in silver and shadows. Single file, they picked their way over the back of the hill until they came up on the ridge overlooking the meadow. The moonlight left darker areas where the tents were pitched, the supply wagons were chocked, and the horses were picketed. There was one campfire burning; the rest were only embers. Lito watched until they saw where the sentry was, then crept down behind a clump of pine trees. The heavy snow on the branches bent the branches almost to the ground, providing an enclosed shelter close to the mercenaries' camp.

Duff set out the tinder and poured some of the lamp oil on it while Lito shoveled snow around the campfire area to keep it from spreading to the tree trunk. Duff made a spark, and the tinder caught immediately, burning with a strong smell of lamp oil. They had to keep it small, both to keep it from being seen, and from catching the sheltering tree on fire. After a few minutes, Duff nodded and Lito began putting coals into the fire. After a few minutes, they started a second fire, and began adding coals to that one too. By the time they had a third fire going, the air under the tree was starting to get smoky. Lito headed out for some fresh air and to check on the camp.

When he got back, Duff was shoveling the hot coals into the metal bucket. Lito rubbed snow into the pocket of his slingshot, soaking the leather with cold.

"You guys are on, let's go," Duff said to Hatch, Rolf and Furball. Rolf yawned at Duff. Hatch and Furball snorted at Rolf, anxious to get started.

They crept out and as close to the camp as they could get. Lito led them around to the south, where he had a better view of the supply wagons.

Lito nodded, and Duff slapped Rolf on the rump. "Go!"

The three reindeer charged down the hill towards the camp, bleating and bellowing madly. They startled the horses, who reared and whinnied against the ropes. The pickets hadn't been driven deeply into the frozen ground, and in their panic, the horses freed themselves and began to stampede through the camp. Rolf blocked the ones that tried to flee into the mountains, sending them back into the camp to knock down tents and add to the general mayhem. Soldiers started shouting and the camp came to life.

Hatch and Furball went around the other side of the panicked horses, driving them away from the supply wagons. The few soldiers who were guarding the wagons left them to help round up the horses.

"I'll let you know if anyone heads back to the wagons," Duff said. "Get started!"

Lito picked up a burning coal with tongs and dropped it into the pocket of his slingshot. He whipped it around his head twice to build momentum, then let it fly. The coal landed in a supply wagon, falling down into the crack between bags of food. Lito kept going, pausing occasionally to rub his slingshot in the snow again. He got about six or seven coals in each wagon while the reindeer kept the horses in a panic.

"Sentry coming!" Duff hissed.

Lito dropped down to the ground while someone came around the supply wagons. Not seeing anything to concern him, he went back to help with the horses.

Lito stood up and kept firing.

"Think I can set a tent on fire?" Lito asked. "Watch me get this one in the dip in the roof. They should have pulled the tent poles tighter."

Lito let a coal fly. It hit the roof and skittered down, coming to rest on the canvas. He sent several more to join it. Four other tents had slack spots on their roofs, and he slung a couple coals in each of them.

"I can smell smoke, Lito. Time to get out of here," Duff warned. He cupped his hands around his mouth and hooted like an owl.

At the signal, Hatch, Rolf and Furball quit stampeding the horses and headed back up the hillside. Lito and Duff were already ahead of them, melting away into the night.

The thin, dry canvas of the tents caught and burned almost immediately. It was another twenty minutes before every one of the supply wagons burst into flames.

~###~

"We need more firewood," Lieutenant Markell insisted. "They'll freeze to death otherwise."

Queen Elsa's former Councilor, Gerhard, glared at the lieutenant. He didn't really care if the weak and stupid ones froze to death. "I want the wagons repaired. We leave at dawn."

"The wagons are for the wounded now," Markell replied. He'd been a Hamarian soldier since he was old enough to swing a sword, more than twenty-five years now. He was a nondescript man, with broad shoulders and big hands. People who met him forgot what he looked like as soon as he was out of their sight. The lieutenancy was a battlefield commission though, not a diploma he'd earned or a rank he'd purchased. These were his men that were injured and freezing, not Gerhard's.

"And what are you going to do? Haul them back up over the mountain to Hamar? If you want physicians and more splints and bandages for your men, we have to capture Arendelle," Gerhard said. They were in his tent, yellow with lamplight against the dark night outside. The cloud cover obscured the stars and kept the temperature above freezing, but not by much. Every so often the full moon appeared through a break in the clouds.

"And if you want soldiers who can fight to capture Arendelle, then we need more firewood," Markell continued to insist. "Men who have frozen to death in wet clothes can't fight."

"Then send them for firewood," Gerhad snarled, "but no one sleeps until the wagons are ready to go in the morning."

Someone clapped from outside the tent.

"Come!" Gerhard shouted.

Corporal Prewitt came only half a pace into the tent. "There's still no sign of Lieutenant Finley's column, sirs," he said with a salute.

"Someone's out there, Lord Gerhard," Markell said. "We're under attack."

"It's just been bad luck," Gerhard insisted. "I've told you that Arendelle has almost no defenses. Their Castle Guard is fifty men or less. The new Councilor over Public Order can't lace his boots in a crisis. Things are still going according to plan!"

Markell didn't say anything, but Gerhard didn't need the reminder that Oslin had already badly botched things by failing to bring him Princess Anna two nights ago. Now Arendelle was on their guard and expecting them, for all the good it would do them. He would still outnumber their guard by eight to one, and if the fight turned against them, they could put Arendelle Village to the torch while they pillaged the countryside, then come back and try again. Gerhard had sunk his entire fortune and reputation into this venture. He couldn't turn back.

"We lost a significant amount of supplies," Markell began.

"So if your men want to eat, they have to capture Arendelle tomorrow!" Gerhard shouted.

"I'm not disputing that!" Markell shouted back. "We will capture Arendelle. We signed on for that victory bonus you've promised more than for the wage you're paying. These men live to fight, but you can't push them beyond their limits! It's cold enough to freeze to death tonight!"

"The victory bonus is coming from the castle treasury," Gerhard replied. "You get it when the castle is mine. And I told you to gather firewood. Why are you still in here?"

From outside came the shattering crash of breaking glass and shouts of surprise.

Gerhard and Markell followed Corporal Prewitt outside into the night. The tents that had survived the flood were pitched in orderly rows, with campfires burning at even intervals. The broken wagons that could still be salvaged were at the north end of camp, surrounded by a knot of men working on repairs. The most badly injured men were in the tents. Wet clothes hung from lines strung wherever they could find a place to string a line. One of the wagons that had been lost to the boulder and the flood had contained blankets, bedding and spare clothing. By far, they missed that wagon the most right now as men wrapped themselves in whatever they could find while they waited for their cold, wet clothes to dry over the small, smoky campfires.

Even as they looked around for the source of the noise, another volley of glass jars came arcing in over the camp, hitting the ground and shattering on impact. One of the jars came down in a campfire and exploded, and men started screaming as the glass splinters peppered them.

Markell bent to the ground by a broken jar and picked up the biggest piece left. "It's an ordinary canning jar," he said, puzzled. Then he sniffed it. "Lamp oil! These are full of lamp oil!"

A strange crackling noise came from overheard. Burning wood splattered down over the camp, landing in pools of lamp oil. Flames ran over the ground, climbing the tents, burning hot and bright. Another load of burning wood came in, and then a third.

"We're under attack!" Markell yelled at Gerhard as men ran for cover. Some of the calmer ones started throwing snow over the flames while others ran for the forest. "I told you there was someone out there!"

"It's coming from the ridgeline," Gerhard said. "Send someone up there!"

"It could be an ambush," Markell objected. "They've got the high ground, and they know exactly where we are."

"You want to stay here while the night catches fire?" Gerhard yelled. "Go find out who's doing this!"

Markell ordered a unit towards the ridgeline. They were out of the glow of the campfire, but still visible by moonlight, when they watched every one of them fall down.

"Bunch of incompetents!" Gerhard yelled.

The men got up, took a few more steps, and fell again. One of them came back.

"The ground is covered in trip lines! There are ropes under the snow," the man said.

The sky was finally still and empty again. "Whoever did that also set the ropes so they could get away before we could reach them. They're gone by now," Markell opined.

Gerhard snorted. "Or they'll wait until we get the fire out, then do it again."

The night was too cold and the ground was too wet for any of the fires to burn long. The Hamarians still had shovels, and quickly smothered the flames under mounds of snow. They lost a couple tents. The damage wasn't devastating, but the fear and confusion lasted. They spent the rest of the night awake and restive, waiting for a second attack that never came.

~###~

**Refugees**

The first wave of refugees from Arendelle Village began pouring across the causeway and through the tall castle gates shortly after sunrise. The cloud cover remained high and white, keeping temperatures above freezing without any promise of more snow. The castle courtyard stayed largely empty because most of the families were clustered in a knot at the tall castle gates, where they'd dropped their carts and packs to argue with a husband or father who was insisting on returning over the causeway to defend their homes. The clot of people kept anyone else from getting over the causeway, and shouts, fights and pushing began to break out as the mass of frightened humanity ground to a halt.

Lieutenant Almar's squadron of bodyguards were the only four Castle Guards left on the castle side of the causeway. Captain Torvin had given Almar authority to respond to the situation as he saw fit. Under that discretion, Almar, Lon, Gerry and Riks abandoned their posts as bodyguards to Elsa and Anna to try and settle the confusion before rioting broke out.

"Keep moving! Move away from the gates!" Almar was shouting through cupped hands. Lon and Riks were physically helping people along by pushing wheelbarrows and carts, hoping the families would follow their belongings. Gerry gently tugged on arms, "this way, please keep going."

"No one is being allowed back across the causeway until the crowds have cleared. Please move into the courtyard and ballroom. Stay together and keep moving," Almar continued.

Angry shouts broke out when Almar announced that no one would be allowed to return to Arendelle Village. Councilors Rodmund, Gustav, Alan and Bern pitched in with the effort to get the crowd away from the castle gates.

"The Castle Guards will protect your homes," Bern assured them, "please keep moving."

Alan and Charlotte were greeting neighbors by name, cajoling people by the force of friendship to calm down and move further into the castle grounds to allow room for the ones behind them.

A young woman clutched a baby, three young children clinging to her skirts. Gustav picked up two of them. "Come with me inside, where it's warm," he said. The young mother followed him as her children cried.

Queen Elsa and Princess Anna stood at the doors of the castle, wearing plain dresses and sensible shoes. They were ready to protect these people, but none of it would matter if they couldn't get them into the castle. They could hear shouts and cries coming from the crowd trapped on the causeway who couldn't move in either direction anymore.

Gustav passed them, carrying two crying children, while the young mother followed him, clutching a crying baby, with tears running down her own cheeks, a fourth crying child clinging to her skirts.

Elsa led the way through the antechamber and into the ballroom. "Please, come find a place. Let's make your children comfortable." She pulled a blanket off a stack and offered it to the little girl clinging to her mother's skirts. The girl turned away and hid her tear-streaked face. The mother looked at Elsa's gloves and stepped back from her.

Anna watched Elsa and wondered if she was about to cry too. They'd made all these preparations to feed everyone and keep them warm, but no one had thought about the panic and fear. Anna was still struggling after her breakdown at the council meeting last night. She'd woken up with eyes swollen from crying, and hadn't been able to eat any breakfast after learning that there was no further word from Kristoff. The fear sapped her strength. There was nothing she could do to help Kristoff, no way to help these people. She wanted to find a quiet place on the third floor of the castle away from everyone and cry until the battle was over.

A few people were coming through into the castle now, mostly women with young children.

Shouts from the castle gates broke out as men insisted on returning to the village. Gerry and Lon pulled swords and, with the flat side of the blade, pressed the men back. The narrow causeway couldn't possibly accommodate people moving both directions. Anna put her hand to her mouth, sickened at the sight of swords being used against their own people.

"Mama! My bear!" the little girl cried.

Anna looked down. The little girl had dropped a stuffed bear, and one of the people passing by had accidentally kicked it to a place where the little girl couldn't reach it without letting go of her mother's skirt. Anna picked up the bear. "Here, dearie, here's your bear."

The little girl snatched it back, eyes wide, whimpering with tears.

"Do you like the story of the three bears?" Anna asked, and suddenly that familiar surge of strength that she always felt when she let true love eclipse her own needs came through for her. "That's one of my favorite stories too!" She stood up and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Who wants to hear the story of the three bears? I bet there are lots of children who want to hear a story right now! Once upon a time, there were three bears!"

Anna pitched her voice to carry, and children began to look around. "There was a great big papa bear, and a middle-sized mama bear, and, oh dear, I've forgotten who came next! Who was the third bear?"

"The baby bear!" a little boy shouted, dragging his mama and younger sister over to Anna.

"That's right! The baby bear! And there was a little girl. Hmm, what was her name?"

"Goldilocks!" children shouted, drawing closer to Anna.

"I'm so glad I have helpers! I couldn't tell this story without you," Anna said. "The three bears lived in a house in the forest."

Then Bern was there with a violin he'd taken from the musician's alcove in the ballroom. He was hastily tuning it. "Pause every time you say a name, your Highness," he told her.

"You play?"

"Mother approved of music lessons," Bern said, setting the violin under his chin.

"One morning, Mama Bear," Anna paused and Bern played a couple bars of music that moved as fast as a busy mother, "made porridge for breakfast, but it was too hot."

Bern bounced staccato notes across the violin strings and the children laughed. Papa Bear was a stern, marching tune; Baby Bear was a lullaby; Goldilocks was a waltz.

At the story and the music, people began to look around. Anna and Bern slowly backed into the ballroom, children following them like the Pied Piper as Anna spun out the story to Bern's accompaniment. The mothers followed the children, and the fathers came to get their families settled in.

The clot of people at the castle gates began to dissolve, and the crowd along the causeway started to move. Gerry and Lon sheathed their swords and helped with carts and packs again.

"Let's get all the children into the ballroom," Lady Charlotte greeted her neighbors. "We have stories and music for the children. Once we get them settled, we can make any other decisions. Please see your children into the castle."

Families kept moving, children dropping their parents' hands and running ahead as word spread about the stories, which meant the parents had to move faster to keep up with their children. The sense of panic began to ease. If people as important as Princess Anna and Lord Councilor Bern were wasting time telling stories to children, then the situation must not be as dire as it had seemed when the Castle Guardsmen had knocked on their doors that morning with the order to evacuate. Children were laughing. The cheer worked its way through the crowd and they changed from being refugees on the verge of a panicked riot back into a community banding together to get through a difficult time.

"Then what happened?" Anna asked from the throne dais in the ballroom.

"The chair broke!" the children shouted back as Bern played the crash of a broken chair.

Anna, by the sheer force of her personality, turned the most frightening event these small ones had ever been through into a festival.

~###~

Kristoff woke up when the sunlight filtered into the cave at Tunnel Hollow, which jerked him awake with a start. Olaf was snoozing in the corner, curled up around the sword he'd been dragging along with him since he'd taken it after destroying an entire wagon full of weapons at Winding Creek.

"Sven! What happened?" Kristoff shouted, yanking his boots back on and finding his hat.

Sven snorted sleepily, saw the sunlight and leapt to his feet and bleated. That yanked Olaf out of a dream and he sat up and yawned. "I thought Trixie and Vixie were coming," he said.

"So did I," said Kristoff. "I just laid down for a minute until they got here, and now look!"

He grabbed some jerky on his way out of the cave. "Let's go!" Sven caught up with him and Kristoff swung up onto his back, taking a bite of jerky.

"Wait for me!" Olaf called, and they looped back to the cave to get Olaf and his sword.

Kristoff ducked. "Watch where you're swinging that thing! Come on, Sven, back to Tanner's Wash. Of all the stupid things to do, sleeping was the dumbest. I hope we haven't ruined everything. Hurry!"

After pelting the Hamarians with lamp oil and campfires last night, Kristoff had sent the ice harvesters back home to defend their hamlets, if need be, from any retreating Hamarians. Zak had pulled the sled-mounted catapult down the ridgeline and headed home with it.

Kristoff had planned to send Trixie and Vixie to round up the trolls again this morning. Most of the trolls went back to the Valley of the Living Rock after the flood at Winding Creek. He'd hoped to use their ability to chew up the ground to slow the Hamarians' progress towards Arendelle Village. But Trixie and Vixie had never come back after delivering their messages to the castle. True, he hadn't told them to find him again, but he'd assumed they would. He'd been wrong, and his mistake was going to cause problems.

Sven skidded to a stop on Aspen Ridge as they saw campfire smoke rising from Tanner's Wash. For a minute, his heart leaped with hope that they were all still there, but the camp was mostly empty. It appeared they'd left the wounded behind with a few tents. That meant the rest of the soldiers were moving fast. The freeze lines that had kept the Hamarians from rushing them on Aspen Ridge last night were sliced apart, lying in the churned up snow. He had no way of knowing when the main body of fighting men had marched out that morning.

"Come on! We can shortcut through Albion Basin. We've got to beat them to Arendelle Village! Run, Sven!" Kristoff crouched low over Sven's harness as Sven settled into a fast gallop, eating up the miles in a race with the Hamarian mercenaries.


	21. Chapter 21 - Final Approach

****Author Note: Well, I had a *headdesk* moment. ModernSonic told me Marshmallow did survive the thaw because he appears after the movie credits with Elsa's crown. You know what? I've never watched the credits all the way through; I've never seen that clip before yesterday. So, no wonder everyone else assumes he's still around. Ack! But I'm not going to rewrite those chapters at this point. My mistake. I'll live with it. Long live Marshmallow! (Except in my stories.)****

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21 – Final Approach<strong>

The shortcut Kristoff took was too steep and rocky for a column of soldiers with wagons to navigate. It also slowed down Sven, who was carefully picking his way over a narrow ledge, following Kristoff and Olaf. This crevice was impassable when there was snow, but they had left the snowline behind an hour ago. Kristoff hoped the shortcut would get them ahead of the Hamarians.

"What if Trixie and Vixie never got to the castle at all?" Kristoff worried aloud. "What if they have no idea what's coming?"

Sven gave a low, concerned bleat. Olaf scrambled up a rock and fell down the other side. "Do you want to find Bulda and send her after them?"

"We don't have time to look for Bulda and talk her into helping us again," Kristoff said. "Just keep moving."

Another twenty minutes further along, the trail opened back out. Kristoff and Olaf got back on Sven and he set off at a gallop again.

Olaf tugged on Kristoff's vest and hung over his shoulder, pointing off to the south. "There! Is that them?"

"I can't tell. Whoa, Sven, hold on a minute."

Sven skidded to a stop as all three of them looked south. Kristoff finally saw what Olaf had seen – a darker section against the fall brown landscape, moving slowly. From this distance, the column of soldiers looked like a centipede undulating down the mountainside. Arendelle Village looked like a collection of toys, bumping up against the fjord at the foot of the mountain.

"Good eyes, Olaf. We caught up with them. Now let's see if we can beat them. Go, Sven!"

Sven took a couple of deep, gasping breaths and set off again.

~###~

Vilrun climbed the stairs of the clock tower on the Village Green and searched the mountains through a spyglass. "Nothing so far. Kristoff said they couldn't get here any earlier than noon, so any time now. I'd expected Trixie to be back before this."

"She might have gotten lost again," Vixie commented. "She does that. Or maybe she just went home." Vixie had popped and bounced her way up the winding circular staircase with Vilrun, and was peering out between the bars on the handrail. "I didn't know humans made their own mountains. Is this as tall as they get?"

"Generally speaking, yes. Humans like to stay close to the ground," Vilrun answered absently, still looking at the mountain.

"That's one way we're alike then. I don't like it up here," Vixie said.

"We can go back down. I'm not seeing anything from up here. Wait," he paused to look at the mountain without the glass to get his bearings, then peered through it again. "That might be the Hamarians. Vixie, can you see them?"

Vilrun offered Vixie the glass. She looked through the wrong end and handed it back. "I don't need an extra eye. Do you want me to go see if it's them?"

"Can you do it without getting hurt?" Vilrun asked.

Vixie shrugged. "I'll be underground. I know what they sound like. I can probably find Trixie too, while I'm at it."

Vixie rolled up and bounced down the stone steps of the clock tower with crashes at every step, Vilrun following her. The clock tower opened out onto the Village Green, where Captain Torvin had established a supply depot for the Castle Guards. Milgard, the castle physician, had arrived several hours ago, commandeering the northwest corner of the Green and setting up cots and tables covered in bandages and towels. Bishop Saholt, in his clerical collar, was at the center of a group of kneeling guardsmen, reciting a prayer. The teenage boys who worked as the Guard runners were crisscrossing the Green as they followed Milgard's orders, tended to the horses that were saddled, and readied supplies for the battle. The castle had sent over food and drink.

Through the half-finished archway on the west border of the Green, they could see the deserted marketplace. Past the marketplace, refugee stragglers still swirled around the entry to the causeway, waiting for a chance to get to the safety of the castle before the Hamarians arrived.

"Torvin!" Vilrun called.

Captain Torvin turned from his meeting with three lieutenants and saluted Vilrun.

"I believe I may have sighted the Hamarian column. Vixie is going to double check and report back. They're coming from the south," Vilrun said.

"I'm coming, sir," Torvin replied. The gold looped braid on his shoulder epaulettes and medals on his chest marked him as the Captain of the Guard. He sent his lieutenants with their squads to the south border of Arendelle Village and came up the stairs to have a look for himself as Vixie rolled off to the foothills where she could get underground.

Torvin took a long look through the glass and nodded. "The south is the worst possible direction for their approach," he said. They were moving fast. Now that he knew where to look, he could see the column without the glass.

Arendelle Village stretched along the shore. There were only two streets south of the causeway. Most of the village lay north and east. Once the Hamarians reached the borders of the village, they would be within a stone's throw of the causeway and the castle.

"Perhaps we can take Princess Anna's advice and take the fight to them," Vilrun said. "That's a suggestion, not an order. Tell me your thoughts if we have the guardsmen prepare to fight in that meadow." He pointed south of the village where an area clear of forest bordered the outmost street.

"At almost a three to one margin, I hate to see our men in a clear area where they can get borne down under the size of the Hamarians' force. A street battle at least gives us some cover, and a chance to come at them without being seen," Torvin pointed out. "We don't have enough men to meet them on an open field without accepting heavy casualties. We can start the defensive line in the meadow, but it will be a retreating action, designed to buy time and wear down the enemy, not a tactic that will lead to victory. Kristoff took the situation from being completely impossible down to being extremely difficult, but it's still a blasted hard position we're in."

"A street battle doesn't give us a lot of space before they get to the causeway," Vilrun replied. "Queen Elsa wants the gates left open as long as possible for the refugees, but we close them soon rather than risking a surprise force of mercenaries breaking through our lines."

"They didn't all follow the order to refugee. We still have villagers in their houses, thinking a locked door is going to keep them safe," Torvin said. He was peering through the glass, trying to trace out the route the mercenaries were taking down the foothills. "That's not a horse, the gallop is wrong," Torvin said, pointing at the foothills further north where a single animal was racing towards the village. "Look!"

"It's got to be Kristoff!" Vilrun said, turning to run back down the stairs. "I've never been so glad to see anyone in my entire life! It's been a close decision, but I'm of the opinion we should pin a medal on him rather than court-martial him."

"Do you think he has any more ideas for wiping out a hundred soldiers at a time?" Torvin asked, following Vilrun down the spiral staircase as the clock chimed one.

"I'll escort him in and we can ask," Vilrun said, taking a horse from one of the teenage boys who worked as the Castle Guards' runners. He snapped the reins and cantered off. They all knew the approaching Hamarian mercenaries were dressed as ice harvesters, and Kristoff didn't have the passwords to get through the defensive line around Arendelle Village. The last thing they needed was for the battle's biggest hero to get cut down by his fellow guardsmen.

~###~

Sven pulled up to a hard stop as men in the green uniforms and black boots of Arendelle's Castle Guard crossed swords in front of him.

"Let me through!" Kristoff yelled at them. "The Hamarians are coming!"

"Password?" one of them demanded.

Olaf peeked out around Kristoff to see what was happening.

"I don't have a password! It's me, Kristoff. Yeesh! I'm one of you guys now!" Kristoff protested.

"That's the queen's snowman," the other one said, which caused enough confusion to slow their response.

"He comes in under my authority," Lord Councilor Vilrun called out, reining in his horse as he approached from behind the guardsmen.

Up until four months ago, Vilrun had been the Captain of the Guard, their direct superior officer. The guardsmen straightened with a snap and saluted. "Yes sir!"

"Your vigilance is commendable," Vilrun told them. "Let's go, Kristoff. We need to see to your beast, and get you into a proper uniform to mark you as one of ours. The guardsmen are going to be swinging a sword at anyone dressed as an ice harvester."

Sven was panting and blowing hard from the exertion of the run from Tunnel Hollow to Arendelle Village. Kristoff swung down and trotted alongside him, staggering a step or two before he found his footing. He and Sven had never done a run like that before. "Did Trixie and Vixie ever make it to the castle?"

"They arrived at the castle together last night," Vilrun told him. "We sent Trixie back to you with a message. Did she never arrive? Vixie's gone to look for her. Rocks with big ears, indeed! I owe you an apology, Kristoff. I didn't believe you and I'm sorry. Where did you meet up with those creatures?"

"They raised me," Kristoff answered. "And I could have handled things with you a lot better too. I'm sorry."

"They raised you? Well, that explains a lot," Vilrun mused from horseback.

Kristoff gave him a sharp look and then blew it off. "Yeah, it probably shows, doesn't it?"

Vilrun smiled, it was more of a cheek twitch than anything else. "There are some similarities in the informality of your manners, yes."

"I haven't spent a lot of time around people, actually," Kristoff admitted. "I can't figure out all your titles and manners and stuff. You all seem to know a whole lot of rules that I don't even notice until I've already done something wrong. What am I supposed to call you anyway?"

You can call me 'sir' or 'Councilor.' I'm still not used to 'Lord,' yet. And you refer to Captain Torvin as 'Captain' or 'sir.' Once we get you assigned to a squad, you refer to your squad leader as 'sir' or 'lieutenant' and refer to your fellow guardsmen by name. Does that help?"

"Pretty much calling anyone 'sir' is safe, right?" Kristoff asked.

"Good summary," Vilrun responded.

"Thanks, sir," Kristoff said.

Vilrun swung down from his horse as they reached the Village Green and handed the reins to one of the runners. "Water trough over there for your reindeer," Vilrun told him, pointing.

Sven trotted over and drank thirstily, ignoring the horses who have him a haughty look. Olaf slid off Sven's back and went wandering off, dragging his sword behind him.

Vilrun pulled a shirt, coat, trousers, boots and socks from a stack of extra uniforms and guard gear and tossed them at Kristoff. "Millinery shop behind you is unlocked. Change there."

The linen shirt was fairly basic, but it took Kristoff a few minutes to figure out the decorative clasps on the green uniform coat. He tucked the trousers into the tall, black knee boots and buckled them up the side, then stamped his feet experimentally. They fit a lot tighter than his ice harvester boots, which were roomy for extra insulation. Once he had the uniform on, he buckled the scabbard of his belt knife onto the coat's black belt. Vilrun hadn't offered him a sword.

Back outside, Vilrun handed him a hat. It wouldn't stay on properly and Vilrun returned it to the stash of extra gear. "You've got too much hair, but we don't have time to deal with that now," Vilrun said. "Good enough as it is. Come up the clock tower. We're wondering if you have any other ideas to help even out the odds a bit."

"Sir, can I send Sven and Olaf over to the castle first? Sven's completely done in, and Olaf really shouldn't be in a battle," Kristoff said. "He thinks he's a lot tougher than he is."

At Vilrun's nod, Kristoff ran over to the horse trough where Sven was still drinking. He snorted in surprise when he saw Kristoff in uniform.

"Yeah, I guess I'm trying to follow orders for a while. Don't rub it in, okay? Take Olaf and get to the castle. Where is Olaf anyway?" Kristoff looked around. "Olaf!"

Olaf came running back from Milgard's table of bandages, where he'd been counting bandage rolls.

"You and Sven are going over the causeway," Kristoff told him. "I've got to stay here."

"I can stay too!" Olaf volunteered.

Kristoff shook his head. "You have to keep Anna and Elsa safe, Olaf. You've got that sword, now. I'd come do the job myself, but they need me over here, so you've got to take my place. Can you do it? Tell Anna I'm all right and I'll see her as soon as I can."

Olaf drew himself to his full height and tried his best salute. "Yep, I'll do it."

Kristoff tossed him onto Sven's back. Olaf flourished his sword above his head and shouted, "We ride for victory!" They headed for the causeway.

"Let's go, Guardsman," Captain Torvin said, gesturing Kristoff towards the clock tower.

"Yes, sir," Kristoff answered.

~###~

The three men in the gated promenade at the top of the clock tower didn't need a glass to see the approaching Hamarians anymore. Councilor Vilrun, Captain Torvin and Guardsman Kristoff watched the column winding down from the foothills, coming towards Arendelle Village at a fast trot, supply wagons bringing up the rear.

"What were your plans for them last night? We didn't get a third update," Vilrun said.

"I had a catapult. We threw lamp oil into their camp, then followed it up with campfires to set it on fire. Things were too cold and wet to burn much, but they had an uncomfortable night," Kristoff said. "They left their wounded behind at Tanner's Wash, along with their broken supply wagons."

Captain Torvin gave him a startled look. "Where did you get a catapult? Is it close by?"

"Sorry, I should have sent it on to you, but I didn't think of that. One of the ice harvesters built it on a sled. He's probably hauled it home by now. Maybe they can use it to defend their hamlet if any stray Hamarians come by," Kristoff answered.

"You're a resourceful bunch, aren't you?" Vilrun observed. "Any other ideas for dealing with these soldiers?"

"I'd hoped to have the trolls chew up the ground so they can't march, but they all disappeared after Winding Creek. I didn't have time to get back to the Valley of the Living Rock to gather them up again. I don't think we can count on the trolls anymore. They don't think like humans – time runs differently for them," Kristoff explained. "Trixie might not even have gotten lost. She might have decided it wasn't urgent anymore and she'll come find me with your message sometime next March. Unless you can convince them they're running a race or playing a game, four years from now is as good as tomorrow in their eyes."

"Then we use the plans we've already got in place," Captain Torvin decided. "Kristoff, I want you at the causeway. Put yourself under Lieutenant Moyes' command and let him use you to direct refugees and free up one of the guardsmen who can fight."

"Yes, sir," Kristoff said. He still didn't know how to salute, so he just nodded before he ran back down the steps.

At the top of the tower, Vilrun watched him leave and then said to Torvin, "I'm going to give myself an assignment and get out of your way. Gerhard is with the Hamarians. I've got a score to settle with him."

Torvin gave a short, humorless laugh. "If we find him first, we'll try and wait for you." He drew up and saluted Lord Councilor Vilrun. Vilrun returned the salute before he ran down the stairs and crossed the Village Green, heading south towards the Hamarians.

~###~

There were several guardsmen directing villagers at the entrance to the causeway. Kristoff picked out the one with the gold braid and shoulder epaulettes. "Lieutenant Moyes?"

"What is it?" Moyes answered, turning. He had a heavy mustache and clear brown eyes over high cheekbones and a mouth turned down with the stress of the day. His uniform was streaked with dust and dirt from a morning of work.

"I'm supposed to help you at the causeway, I guess," Kristoff said.

"Who are you and whose orders are you following?" Moyes demanded with a scowl.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Kristoff. I've been a guardsman for about two days now, and Captain Torvin sent me over," Kristoff said.

"Kristoff? Are you the ice harvester that wiped out more than half the army?" Moyes asked, his expression opening up considerably.

"Yes, sir."

"Blast! That was amazing! We're going for a drink when this is all over and you can tell us the story. Rees! Thomas! Phillip! This is Kristoff, you've heard of him. He's on our detail for now," Moyes said, pulling him by the elbow over to where the other three members of the squad were arguing with people who were trying to take entire wagonloads of goods over the causeway.

"We don't have time to move your household goods to the castle, leave it here!" Rees was yelling at a villager. He broke off the argument to offer Kristoff his hand and congratulate him. "And if you thought wiping out an army was hard, you should try reasoning with civilians. These people have no concept of following orders."

Kristoff nodded and hoped that wasn't the job he would have to do. "Sir, Captain Torvin said I was supposed to free up someone who could fight. The Hamarians are just about here."

"They are?" Moyes cupped his hands around his mouth. "Drop your carts! Leave it all here! The Hamarians are on final approach! Double time! Get over the causeway before they close the castle gates!"

In the ensuing melee, the guardsmen managed to separate people from heavily loaded carts and get them running towards safety, unencumbered by their belongings.

The sound of a faint clash of swords drifted over, and then from somewhere out of sight, a man screamed in pain. The Hamarian attack had begun.

~###~

Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, was trying to stay busy in the corridor between the kitchen and the formal dining room. There were a hundred things that needed to be done, actually, but Castle Headwoman Gerda and Lady Councilor Marda were both reluctant to use Elsa to fetch and carry as they tended to the needs of the sick and infirm refugees. Most of the villagers were sheltering in the ballroom, where Anna had turned the crisis into a festival, but the ones who had come over the causeway with sick and feeble family members were being directed into the formal dining room, close to the kitchens. Divans from the corridors and other rooms had been carried in to be used as cots for those who couldn't sit up. Others simply lay on blankets on the floor. Marda had taken over the kitchen while Gerda supervised the nursing.

"Henny, take this to the laundry and find me more towels," Gerda said, handing a basket of soiled cloths to the laundry woman. "Drat Milgard for taking so many towels! He's got enough to bandage every man in the Guard four times over. He might have remembered that he wouldn't be the only one dealing with sick people today."

Gerda stood up to find another bucket and nearly ran into Elsa. "I beg your pardon, your Majesty!"

"No, I'm sorry. I'm in the way," Elsa said. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Dearie, we've got maids to fetch and carry. You could," and Gerda paused to think.

Elsa already knew the answer from Gerda's hesitation. There wasn't anything she could do. She didn't know how to nurse the sick or cook for the hungry or do anything practical. She'd left the ballroom after yet another person gave her gloves a frightened look and shied away from her. Every member of her Royal Council was deeply involved in keeping things running smoothly as most of the village crammed into the castle. She was the only one wishing she had more to do. Perhaps she could go bother Lieutenant Almar again and see if there was any update from Councilor Vilrun or Captain Torvin. But Almar was as busy as the rest of them.

"I'll go see if Marda needs help," Elsa suggested instead.

"Yes, that's a good idea," Gerda said with relief, and turned back to her work.

Elsa picked her way past the people and belongings piled in the corridor to the kitchens. Marda was pouring more water into the barley soup. Kitchen servants were carrying full soup tureens to the ballroom and returning with empty ones to be washed and refilled. There was a steady stream of people in and out of the kitchen, all purposefully heading somewhere except for Elsa. A servant jostled Elsa and then nearly died of mortification on the spot. Elsa gave up trying to assure her there was no cause for alarm and simply fled out to the kitchen courtyard where she wouldn't be in the way anymore.

She sat down on the stone wall bordering the kitchen garden. The dirt was empty now, raked flat for the approaching winter. Even here, people were busy. Marda had pressed the groomsmen into service carrying trays of food and drink over the causeway to the Village Green for the Castle Guards, if they got a chance to refresh themselves. Elsa watched two of the grooms come running back with empty trays. They tried to bow when they recognized her, but she waved them off.

"No more food for the Guards, Lady Marda," one of them called out. "They're closing the gates soon! The last of the refugees are coming over the causeway now."

Elsa walked over to where she could see the tall gates between the causeway and the castle courtyard. The stream of people was down to a trickle, but there were still a few of them coming in at a run.

"Hi Elsa!"

Elsa turned around in surprise and delight. Olaf was coming towards her from the direction of the castle stables, dragging a sword as long as himself. "Olaf! You're back! Is Kristoff here too?"

"Yep! I had to feed Sven before I could come find you. Where are all the grooms anyway? Sven ran as fast as the wind all the way from Tunnel Hollow to beat the Hamarians here! We pretty much made it, too. I mean, they're through the foothills right now. See my sword! Kristoff said I was in charge of protecting you and Anna," Olaf answered.

"Where's Kristoff?"

"He went with Vilrun to find a way to wipe out the rest of the Hamarians. There are still a whole bunch of them. Milgard has hundreds of bandages ready." That thought dampened Olaf down a little bit and he sighed.

"Anna's in the ballroom, Olaf. Can you find her and tell her Kristoff is all right? She's telling stories to the children," Elsa told him. "Leave your sword with me. It might frighten the children."

"Stories!" Olaf brightened and ran off towards the ballroom, dropping his sword without a second thought.

Elsa picked up the sword. It was a plain blade with a serviceable leather-wrapped hilt, unadorned by crest or decoration, not one stolen from Arendelle's armory. Somehow, Olaf had gotten his hands on one of the Hamarian's swords. He'd been that close to them. She laid it flat over the glove on her palm. It caught the afternoon sunlight and glinted. There were men out there wielding weapons just like this one against her guardsmen, against her villagers, against her brother. They would use these weapons to kill the people who were trying to defend her, then come to the castle and attack the defenseless people she'd covenanted to protect.

Deep inside Elsa, the fear she'd been stifling broke through, but when it surfaced, it came as anger instead. How dare he? How dare Gerhard use his hatred of her to threaten everyone in Arendelle? While her Councilors and sister truly believed that Gerhard was more of a monster than she could ever be, Elsa knew differently. If she pitted the worst that was in her against the worst that was in him, she could destroy him. Her chest heaved with anger, and her brows drew down as she stared at the blade and the menace it brought to Arendelle.

She slipped off her glove and curled her hand around the sword. Instead of ice spreading over the surface in visible spikes, she focused the cold in her hands and drew out all the heat from inside the steel. The only external change was a few flowers of frost that formed on the blade, but when she swung the sword down at the brick-paved ground, it shattered easily, frozen to its core. It was the same way she'd destroyed the iron gauntlets that Prince Hans had used to shackle her in the dungeon.

Elsa's indecision and sense of uselessness dissolved as she made the decision she'd been avoiding. A sense of inevitability swallowed up her fear. The fear had all been for herself, she realized as it disappeared. She'd been afraid of what this decision would mean for her and her tenuous grasp on her own emerging connection to humanity. And now it didn't matter anymore. Neither her sanity nor her life was too high a price to pay. Gerhard must not win.

Finally, Elsa was able to walk somewhere quickly with a sense of purpose. Inside the mud room between the kitchen courtyard and the kitchen, she found a plain brown cloak of rough homespun. With a whispered apology to whichever servant would miss it, she wrapped it around her and pulled the hood up to hide her distinctive hair.

The men at the castle gates were all looking towards the causeway and readying the gates to be closed. She slipped past them and through the gates as they began to swing shut.

~###~

Lieutenant Almar and Guardsman Lon paced along the guardwalk at the top of the castle gates, watching the other side of the causeway. At last, a guard on the far side of the causeway swung his arms in the signal to close the gates. "Close the gates!" Almar called down to Gerry and Riks.

As the immense wooden gates began to swing shut beneath them, Lon grabbed his arm and pointed. "Look! A girl's gotten through! She's headed to the village!"

Almar watched her for a second and turned pale. "Heaven help us all," he breathed out. Then he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Your Majesty! Stop!"

Queen Elsa didn't even turn around. She began running in the wrong direction, over the causeway.

"Open the gates!" Almar shouted. "The gates stay open until the queen is safely inside!" He went tearing down the narrow stairs, cursing himself for forgetting that Queen Elsa's greatest danger was herself.

"Riks, take over the squadron if I don't come back," Almar shouted as he ran past the other guards and sprinted after the queen.


	22. Chapter 22 - Queen's Orders

**Chapter 22 – Queen's Orders**

Kristoff and the rest of his squad were piling abandoned belongings along the sea wall, trying to clear the area around the causeway. He heaved another bag of stuff onto the pile. With the noise of the villagers gone, they could hear the clash of swords and shouts of men. The fight was still out of sight, but Kristoff had seen a guardsman stagger back to the Village Green, blood pouring from his shoulder. Bishop Saholt had met him halfway, and supported the man over to the physician's corner.

"Empty the wagons and carts," Moyes ordered him. "We'll use them to build a barricade around the causeway entrance."

Rees and Thomas were already dumping out wheelbarrows. Phillip dragged them into a semi-circle, throwing on barrels, chairs, and anything else he could find from the piles of stuff that had been abandoned by the fleeing villagers.

Three squadrons of guardsmen trotted into view, their lieutenants waving Moyes over and conveying the orders to set up an ordered defense at the causeway. Gerhard's known goal was the death of the queen, and so the Hamarians' first objective would be to take the causeway and breach the castle gates. This would be the scene of the battle's heaviest fighting.

Kristoff was yanking a cart out of the pile of belongings when he was startled by a tug on his sleeve. He whirled and nearly lashed out before he saw who it was.

"Yeesh, Elsa, make some noise!"

She offered him a ghost of a smile. "It's good to see you too."

Lieutenant Almar came running up behind her. "Your Majesty, please!"

"You were at my ice palace too, weren't you Almar?" Elsa said to both of them. "You saw the snow beast I created. Would a few of those help right now?"

Kristoff stared at her, slowly shaking his head. Elsa was a lot like Olaf in some ways; they both thought they were a lot tougher than they really were. "We can do this, Elsa. Get inside the gates," he told her.

"Please your Majesty!" Almar said, all but pulling on her.

"What's going on? Any villagers who didn't make it to the castle need to get back to their houses and hope for the best," Moyes said, striding over. "Almar, what are you doing here?"

Elsa pulled down the hood on the cloak.

"Your Majesty!" Moyes said. He halted and saluted. "Lieutenant Moyes, at your service!"

"Thank you, Lieutenant Moyes, that's refreshing to hear. Kristoff and Lieutenant Almar are escorting me to Captain Torvin. I trust that meets with your approval," Elsa said.

"Yes, your Majesty," Moyes replied crisply.

"It's such a pleasure to find someone who can follow orders instead of offer unwanted opinions," Elsa said. She strode through the marketplace, heading for the Village Green. Kristoff and Almar followed her.

Moyes watched her go and cursed. Their reason for defending the causeway to the death was now walking across open ground, only two streets away from a hundred and thirty men who wanted to kill her. "Form up! Get a defensive line between the queen and streets to the south! Move!" Guardsmen ran into position.

"Your Majesty, please put your hood back on," Almar pleaded. "The fewer people that recognize you, the safer you'll be."

Elsa pulled the hood back up as she approached Captain Torvin, who was speaking with Bishop Saholt. "Captain," she greeted him.

Captain Torvin visibly startled as he recognized her and turned a stern eye on Lieutenant Almar, who could only shake his head in apology.

"I've come to fight the battle," Elsa told him. "Kristoff, tell them what I can do."

Kristoff stepped up next to her, wishing he dared put an arm around her to support her. Whatever had gotten her over the causeway was already fading. Elsa was brave and determined, but where other people were resilient, Elsa was breakable. If she couldn't even describe it herself, he didn't know how she was going to manage what she wanted to do.

"As part of her magic, she can create beasts of snow, three times the height of a man. They can fight," Kristoff began.

"I've seen it level five men with a single blow," Almar contributed.

"If it works right, she could wipe out a hundred soldiers," Kristoff said.

"This is your idea, then?" Captain Torvin asked, giving Kristoff a sharp look.

"No, sir, it most certainly is not," Kristoff replied. "It's her idea."

"It's more than an idea," Elsa broke in. "It's an order. You will take me to where the Hamarians are attacking. I have to create them where we need them to fight."

Torvin exchanged a questioning look with Almar, who looked back helplessly. "She's the queen."

"Elsa, can you control them?" Kristoff asked quietly as Torvin called over a squadron for an escort.

Elsa nodded, but she wouldn't look at him. "The one at my ice palace only did what I wanted it to do." She pulled off her gloves and dropped them on the ground.

He'd been pitched down the stairs and chased off a cliff by the one at her palace, and he didn't feel reassured that Elsa could control them. Kristoff walked on Elsa's right. Almar was on her left. There were two guardsmen ahead of them and two behind as Captain Torvin led them towards the south where the sounds of swordfighting intermittently filled the air as the outnumbered guardsmen fought, fell back, and engaged again.

The Castle Guards were holding the Hamarians outside of the village, backing up against the first street bordering the meadow. The meadow had been marched to mud. Here and there, blood streaked the tall meadow grasses. The Hamarian wounded were barely behind their own line. The Hamarians were using their numerical advantage to corner squads of guardsmen, fight them into a retreat, then block the retreat with more Hamarians. The guardsmen were losing ground with every fight, falling back towards the village.

"Tell them to disengage," Elsa ordered Captain Torvin.

~###~

Elsa was shutting down, letting go of her connections with the people around her and turning inward, seeking the cold places in her heart, deliberately cultivating the isolation and fear that unleashed the ice and snow in her hands. The only other time she'd been able to wield her magic with enough fury to create a monster of snow, her anger had been focused at Anna, who had invaded her sanctuary and wouldn't leave. The snow beast was born out of her frustration that she couldn't change who she was and she couldn't make her sister go away and leave her isolated.

She still couldn't change who she was. Gerhard wouldn't have done this if she wasn't who she was. Now it was Gerhard who wouldn't go away. He was invading the sanctuary she'd precariously built for herself here in Arendelle. She couldn't undo what he'd already done, but she could make him regret that he'd ever messed with her. If he thought she was a destructive monster who was too dangerous to live, he was about to find out he didn't know the half of it.

The frustration and pain built to a breaking point inside Elsa. The turmoil drew a curtain between her and the real world as Elsa lost her connections with reality and let her intensity overwhelm her to give the destructive power of the ice free rein. Four days ago, guilt had turned the ice inward on herself. Today, she was counting on her anger to turn the ice outward on her enemies. Only with difficulty could she hear Captain Torvin shouting, guardsmen drawing back. It all took place in a blur. The only thing in sharp focus was the hatred on the face of a Hamarian soldier as he pursued one of the green-clad Castle Guards, blade flashing in the sun as he brought it down again and again on a man who was trying to retreat.

Elsa focused on him, her anger drawing down on that man who wouldn't leave her guardsman alone. She threw her anger at the paving stones under his feet, kicking up snow and magic in his face as the bricks vomited back her fury in a beast that unfolded upwards, fifteen feet and more, and then roared out Elsa's rage from ice-toothed jaws, cold fire flickering in the empty eye sockets. He picked up the attacking Hamarian and threw him into the trees. Branches broke, but his body didn't make it to the ground.

The Hamarians fell back, and now it was Elsa who wouldn't allow a retreat. She threw the next blast of anger behind them, and another snow beast erupted from the paving stones, trapping them within reach of the first beast, who grabbed men and began to destroy. Elsa ran down the line of terrified men and threw a third blast of magic and fury at the ground. The ground disgorged a third beast that stretched ice spikes of fingers as high as the rooftops, and then reached for the fleeing Hamarians.

Elsa's monsters roared. Inhuman screams tore from human throats at the terrible beasts who had erupted from the cobblestones. The beasts attacked again. With a swipe of a snowy arm, four men were thrown into a wall and crumpled to the ground. They didn't get up. Another beast stomped into a knot of men and began throwing and stomping as they tried to run from it. The screams morphed into cries and shouts of pain as her monsters tore men apart, threw them down, and kept going. They came from Elsa's unreality, but she'd channeled them into this world and they couldn't be undone.

Elsa started to scream too, letting her own horror fill her ears to block out the screams of the injured, dying and terrified. They couldn't be killed; they were out of her control. And once they finished with the mercenaries, they would turn on Arendelle. She was destroying her kingdom with her power, again. And this time it wasn't an accident. She'd known it might end this way. She'd wanted to fight the battle to keep them all from dying, and now it would be her power that killed them, instead of an enemy.

This time she needed to end with it, so she didn't have to face what she'd done. She couldn't bear to know what she was capable of doing. The magic obeyed her wishes. Ice spread outward from her feet, then up into a tight tornado of wind and snow that spun around her, weaving a shroud of storm and fear that drew tighter with every revolution. The wind pulled her hair loose, drawing it upward like pale flame, flickering and snapping. Elsa closed her eyes, inviting oblivion, and gave herself up to the cold wind.

~###~

Lord Alan's wife, Lady Charlotte, was chatting with friends and villagers in the antechamber to the ballroom. As the panicked villagers came across the causeway, they'd been welcomed warmly to the surprise that the castle was actually hosting a party, complete with stories, music and food. Some of the villagers had gone so far as to ask when there would be dancing. Lady Charlotte was not willing to make any promises on that issue.

A few grandmothers had gotten out their knitting. Boys played marbles on the polished wood floor while their sisters gave wooden dolls their first peek at the castle. The line of tables in the far corner had barley soup and salt crackers. Blankets had been piled up into informal beds, cradling several toddlers while they napped next to mothers who were nursing babies and chatting about runny noses and diapers. Every so often, when the men got restless and suggested returning to the village to defend their homes, Gustav and Alan insisted they help move furniture again. Divans, cots, beds, wardrobes and settees had been rearranged several times already as Gustav and Alan debated about the best arrangement for accommodating everyone. Rodmund had gathered up Harold and many of the other grandfathers for a long talk about the good old days.

When Anna saw Tyra come into the ballroom, she'd waved her up to the throne dais. Tyra settled her seven younger siblings into the audience and joined Anna in telling stories, bringing a green scarf. It had been Tyra's idea to pull children from the audience to reenact the stories. There were four children on the dais with them: Red Riding Hood, Grandmother, the wolf and the woodcutter. Anna would give the next line of the story and then pause while Bern played the music and Tyra ran to costume the actor in her green scarf. By turns, the green scarf became Red Riding Hood's hood, then Grandmother's shawl, the wolf's tail, and the woodcutter's bandoleer.

"My, what big eyes you have, said Red Riding Hood," Anna narrated, as the boy who was playing the wolf used his fingers to make his eyes bigger and Bern played a tremolo of danger on the violin.

"The better to see you with, my dear, said the wolf. Go ahead, say the line," Anna prompted the boy. He repeated it.

Olaf was in the audience now, jumping with excitement and trying to warn Red Riding Hood about the wolf. He'd come in not long ago with the welcome news that Kristoff was safe. She still didn't know where he was, but least he was out of the mountains. She didn't have to force the smile and cheer anymore.

"My, what big teeth you have, said Red Riding Hood," Anna went on. The green scarf was back to being the wolf's tail as the boy gave himself finger fangs and Bern played the lilting bars of Red Riding Hood's music.

Just as Red Riding Hood was about to get eaten, the boy who was playing the woodcutter took matters into his own hands and hit the wolf over the head. The wolf hit back, which was not part of the story.

Anna got between them. "Boys! We don't hit!"

The woodcutter boy gave her a confused look. "He's my brother. I can hit him whenever I want."

"That is not how we treat our brothers," Anna scolded him. "Step back and wait for the story."

"You're ruining it," Red Riding Hood accused him as Grandmother stuck out her tongue at the wolf.

"Come hide on the throne with Grandmother, now that you've been eaten," Tyra told Red Riding Hood, guiding the girl away.

"Anna!" came a familiar voice.

Anna's heart gave a leap as she looked around. Kristoff was wearing a green guard uniform with tall black boots, of all things, but it was him! With a happy shriek, she rushed into his arms and spun him around in a hug, kissing the scruff on his cheek. "You crazy fool!" she said happily.

"Elsa needs you," he said quietly, far too serious. "Come now."

"But Elsa is just over there," Anna's voice died as she looked around. How long had it been since she'd seen Elsa?

Kristoff had an arm firmly around her waist, pulling her along.

Anna looked around the crowd of children. Several youths were watching the stories as well. Councilor Alan's oldest son, Zander, hadn't moved from his spot in over an hour. She'd thought it was strange he'd been so enthralled by children's stories, but it could prove useful now. "Zander!" she called to him as Kristoff led her away. "Get up there and do anything Tyra tells you to do!"

"Oh, I will!" he promised fervently, stepping carefully over little children, his eyes on Tyra.

Kristoff wouldn't let her stop to talk to anyone, nor would he answer any of the questions people called out to him. He was starting to worry her.

"Kristoff, what's wrong?" she asked as she mounted the horse he'd left in the courtyard.

He got up behind her and snapped the reins. They cantered through the open gates and over the causeway.

"Remember that snow beast Elsa used to throw us out of her ice palace? She made three of those, and she's lost control of them," Kristoff said right into her ear. He was standing in the stirrups to let her have the saddle, crouching over her, his unshaven cheek rough against hers.

"I can't fight those things!" Anna said.

"We'll fight them. You just deal with Elsa," Kristoff replied.

Anna twisted a bit to see his face. His voice was so intense. In the few months that she'd known him, she'd seen him get attacked by wolves, run from a snow beast, fall off a cliff, and head out to take on an entire army by himself. But she hadn't ever seen him afraid until now.

Kristoff turned them south as they got to the end of the causeway. Guardsmen turned to watch them run past. Anna heard a roar and a scream. The horse reared and refused to go any further. Kristoff and Anna swung down from the horse and he pulled her along, towards the roaring and screaming.

As they came around the last row of houses before the meadow, Anna saw the snow beasts above the line of the houses. One of the beasts was running deeper into the village, chasing soldiers as they tried to hide from it. Another beast was in the meadow, attacking Hamarians as they tried to run back into the mountains.

The third beast was standing with its back to a funnel cloud of snow that spun wildly next to a row of buildings, roaring out a threat at the Castle Guards who had surrounded it in a semi-circle, swords drawn, staying out of its reach while they waited for an opening. Every so often they feinted, trying to draw the beast away from the tight tornado it was guarding. The tornado was growing towards the clouds, still touching the ground but elongating as the icy wind drew upward and away from the earth, beginning to pull away into the air.

"Where's Elsa?" Anna asked, looking around wildly.

Kristoff turned Anna back to the third beast and pointed at the tornado behind it. "In there."

Anna sprinted towards it.

"Now men!" Lieutenant Moyes shouted, and eight men attacked the beast at once, drawing its attention away from Anna.

Anna plowed at full speed into the tornado. She collided with Elsa and knocked her out of the spinning wind. They hit the paving stones together, and Elsa's head cracked against the brick, her loose hair falling all around. The wind came searching for her. The beast turned and growled low in its throat at Anna, who was crouching over her sister, icy claws reaching for her.

"No, you won't," Anna told it.

"Anna, get out of the way," Elsa whispered, prone on the brick.

"You'd better stop it, Elsa," Anna said. "Because it's going to have to kill me before I let it get to you."

Anna's love re-established the connection that Elsa had severed in order to make the monsters. As Elsa allowed Anna to dispel her isolation, her intensity began to break up as reality took hold again. The snow beast faltered, mid-roar, and collapsed into a pile of snow that blew away in blue sparkles.

The guardsmen fell back in surprise as the danger disappeared as if it had never been there at all.

"Now the other two, Elsa," Anna told her, pulling Elsa off the paving stones and onto her lap. Elsa fell against her shoulder, blood from her head staining Anna's dress.

In the meadow, the second beast collapsed and wisped away. While they couldn't see the third beast, screams stopped tearing the air.

The icy tornado touched down again between the sisters and the guardsmen. It crept towards the guards and they fell back before the magical menace.

"Elsa! What's the wind?" Anna cried out.

"It came for me," Elsa said. "If I go with it, I don't have to see what I did anymore. It's oblivion."

Elsa pulled away from Anna, reaching for the wind. She climbed unsteadily to her feet, using Anna's support to stand. Blood ran down her neck.

The tornado turned its attention away from the guards, spinning closer as Elsa reached out her fingertips to touch it.

"Elsa! What are you doing?" Anna shouted at her.

"I won't have to know who I am anymore," Elsa whispered back, hypnotized by the promise of the wind. Her hands sunk in and disappeared.

Anna pulled on her waist from behind, but she couldn't fight Elsa's determination to disappear into the wind.

"You promised you'd be here!" Kristoff shouted at Elsa from the other side of the tornado. "You promised! I told you that you'd answer to me if you pulled a stunt like this again!"

Elsa pulled her hands out of the tornado with a gasp, as if it had burned her. The tornado gave a jerk as Elsa pulled free, then headed for Kristoff. He pulled his belt knife and began to step backwards as guardsmen formed up around him in a line, swords drawn. But there was nothing they could fight with weapons.

"Leave him alone!" Elsa cried out to the wind. "I'll accept what I've done! I won't go with you!"

The wind hissed its spite at Elsa's rejection, writhing in crooked patterns as it sought an avenue of attack.

"You're no more real than fear, are you?" Kristoff demanded of it. He stopped retreating and started advancing on the wind. "You can't stand against reality, can you?"

The wind spun its way back from the line of guards, towards Elsa and Anna again.

"I'm not afraid of you, either," Anna shouted at the wind.

"I am who I am, and you can't change that. You're nothing but a lie and I don't believe you anymore!" Elsa flung at it, her breath coming in gasps as she made the effort to re-establish another connection to reality.

With a shriek and a squall, the wind lost its hold on earth and went spiraling back up into the clouds that split apart at its approach, then closed up behind it.

The tornado left an unnatural quiet behind as their ears adjusted to the absence of the high-pitched wail of the wind. Guards looked around uncertainly, still holding their swords ready. Elsa staggered back against Anna, her bare hand going to her head and coming away covered in blood.

From over the housetops, they heard screams begin again. "Fire!"


	23. Chapter 23 - Unlikely Heroes

**Chapter 23 – Unlikely Heroes**

Elsa closed her eyes and began to fall. The shock of reality returning was too much to withstand, and the pain in her head was throbbing more than her heart that had broken and healed too many times in the past few days. Elsa was taller than Anna, and Anna couldn't keep her from collapsing to the bricks. She landed on her hands and knees, ice spreading out slowly beneath her. Freezing the ground was so ordinary compared to what she'd just done; she welcomed the familiarity.

"Fire!"

She heard the screams and she shuddered away from them. They would want her to help. Helping was such a terrible disaster. Better to let Arendelle burn.

"Fire!"

She sensed people running. They left her behind. No one asked for her help; they knew better. The ice beneath her thickened. Bemused, she started to trace lines and patterns into it.

"Elsa, please come with me," Anna pleaded, pulling on her.

Of course Anna hadn't left. Everyone else would go fight the fire, and Anna would stay with her. At some point in the past few months, Elsa had ceased to question Anna's right to stay with her. She never asked Anna to leave her alone anymore. That had never worked anyway.

"Elsa, please come with me," Anna repeated. The smell of smoke drifted lazily through the air.

"You know I can't help," Elsa said quietly to the frozen ground. "They'd rather let the village burn to the ground than risk what I can do."

"Come anyway," Anna said. She wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist and pulled on her.

Rather than get pulled over, Elsa staggered to her feet. Anna propped her up as best she could and the two of them made their way around the corner of the row of townhouses. The next street was on fire, sheets of flame licking up the walls and catching the wooden shingles on fire. The fire burned in four places at once, the flames beginning to converge into a solid wall of flame. The wind blew, carrying the sparks to the next row of townhouses, and the next, and into the Village Green.

The Castle Guards were in a long, crooked line, strung from the harbor to the fire, trying to form a bucket brigade. They only had four buckets, and the tiny bit of water hissed sadly against the flames and disappeared without a trace.

"You have to put out the fire," Anna said in her ear.

"Better a fire than ice. The fire isn't my fault," Elsa said, trying to turn away.

Anna blocked her. "Elsa!"

"I'll freeze the whole country, Anna," Elsa said, completely defeated. "And then it will spread and I'll destroy the entire world. I could do it, I really could."

"I won't let you!" Anna said fiercely. She threaded her fingers over the back of Elsa's hand and raised their entwined hands towards the flame. "Trust me! Do the magic!"

Elsa shook her head, but it wasn't in denial. Something was happening to her. The fragile connections she'd made with reality were strengthening, reaching tendrils of truth inside Anna too and drawing out a shared memory of the last time Elsa had trusted herself, the last time Anna had asked her to use her magic. Anna gasped and Elsa could tell it was affecting her too. With a shattering yank, the truth broke through the lie Grand Pabbie had given Anna all those years ago, and Anna remembered the morning they'd played in the ballroom together. Both of them returned together to the reality of the childlike joy of what Elsa could do and how much Anna loved it. When Elsa thought of that morning, she thought only of the horrible way it had ended. But all of Anna's memories were of the fun, the delight in Elsa's magic, and the sheer joy of being with her sister.

Anna had been the only one who had ever known what she could do and accepted it completely. It hadn't frightened her, or changed her view of her sister. The magic was simply part of Elsa. Because Anna loved Elsa, she loved what she could do. Perfect, childlike acceptance flowed down that shared connection and into their hands still raised to the fire.

Elsa poured out her power, trusting totally in Anna's ability to accept what she could do. She closed her eyes and turned her head into Anna's neck, letting Anna guide their linked hands. The ice always came from Elsa laced with denial, a silent protest that she had this terrible power. But this time, the ice and cold poured out with a sense of excitement, welcomed into the world by Anna who saw it as a way to help the people she loved. The ice and snow rushed to cooperate with Anna, letting her guide them to exactly where they were needed.

_Do the magic!_ Anna's childhood plea echoed in Elsa's memory. _Do the magic!_ Anna wanted this strange part of her that she kept trying to get rid of. Anna accepted it, loved it, welcomed it and asked it for help.

Anna finally let their hands fall. Elsa risked a glimpse. The ice and snow had put out the flames, and sparkled away, not even leaving damp traces on the paint and wood. Black scorch marks streaked the walls and licked at the underside of the roofs, but the buildings still stood. The line of guardsmen were watching them warily.

Acceptance. The key to controlling her powers was to accept them rather than trying to smother them out of existence. It was one more thing that was so easy for Anna to do, and so impossible for Elsa. Yet she'd watched her sister take on a role in government that no one thought she could handle and do well at it. If Anna could learn something so new and difficult, then Elsa could too. She had a wonderful example to follow. "Thank you, Anna," she whispered.

And now her head hurt abominably. Anna didn't try to keep her on her feet. She guided her down to the bricks, helping her to sit. Elsa wanted to lie down somewhere. The blood had stopped flowing, but her head throbbed at every heartbeat.

Kristoff walked towards them and knelt down. "What's that thing you're always saying, Anna? She's your sister so you don't have to worry she's going to hurt you. Is that it?"

Anna nodded.

"You've got a brother now too, Elsa," Kristoff said. He slid his arms around her and picked her up.

"No!" Elsa cried, trying to twist out of his grasp. The idea of accepting her powers was still too new and fragile. No one but Anna could touch her, or she would hurt them. Her hands were outstretched, as far away as she could get them from Kristoff, snow flowers pinwheeling wildly off her bare fingertips.

"Don't worry, Elsa. Anna is here," Kristoff reassured her. "She'll make sure I don't get frostbite. Right, Anna?"

Anna was looking at him like he was the sun, moon and stars all wrapped into one. She looked at him and spoke to Elsa. "Let him help you, Elsa. You're not alone anymore."

Elsa stopped pulling away, but her ragged breathing betrayed the fact that she was still terrified of what she might do.

Anna enfolded Elsa's bare hands in her own. The snow stopped coming. "Fear can't get past true love," Anna said.

Cradled in Kristoff's arms, with Anna holding her hands, Elsa was surrounded by true love. The remnants of fear within her couldn't survive the double onslaught of acceptance. It released its hold on her heart and melted away. She drew a deep, even breath and let it go.

"I'm all right now," Elsa assured them. Peace crept into her heart instead, making her feel so safe she started to get drowsy.

"Yep, you sure are," Kristoff agreed, but he didn't set her down. He set off for the Village Green. "We're going to let Milgard bandage your head, then you're going back to the castle. They left the gates open for you, you know."

"That wasn't very safe for them to do that," Elsa murmured against Kristoff's chest. "Someone might have gotten hurt."

~###~

Gerhard raced through the village, thinking of nothing now but hiding and escape. He'd dropped the torch a few streets back when a waft of snow had pinched it out and smothered the last fire he'd set. He was full of hatred at his loss. He should have won! It was all planned out, down to the last detail. And he was right! That was the part that chafed him the worst. The queen really was a monster. He'd seen what she'd done to destroy his soldiers. She had no right to be on the throne of Arendelle. He'd try again, alone this time. He didn't need an army to creep into the castle in the dead of night and find her asleep. Oslin had failed because he was stupid. Gerhard wouldn't make any mistakes.

Gerhard heard heavy footsteps rushing toward him from behind. He managed to turn and raise his sword just in time to block a two-handed blow coming down towards his head, and found himself looking into the heavy jowls and thick brows of his former subordinate officer.

"How dare you do this to Arendelle!" Vilrun shouted at him, swinging his sword again and again. Gerhard retreated from the force of Vilrun's fury, swinging to parry Vilrun's blows but unable to gain enough balance to go on the offensive.

"I was doing what was best," Gerhard bit back. He was right! Why couldn't any of them see that he was right?

"This? You see this? You think this is what's best for Arendelle?" Vilrun bellowed. "Look around at what you've done! The destruction you've wrought! You're more a monster than anything the queen could create!"

Gerhard was already tired from exertion and defeat. Under Vilrun's unrelenting attack he staggered, his concentration faltered and Vilrun smashed the sword out of his hand. The blade went clattering away along the brick paving stones and skidded into the gutter. Gerhard dropped to his knees and pulled his coat open, exposing his chest. "Finish it, Vilrun," he said.

"You don't deserve a clean death in battle. You'll hang like the traitor you are!" Vilrun snarled at him. He reversed his sword and slammed the pommel into the side of Gerhard's head. Gerhard slumped to the ground.


	24. Chapter 24 - Good Night

**Chapter 24 – Good Night**

Milgard said he couldn't bandage Elsa's head without cutting her hair. Since the bleeding had mostly stopped on its own, Anna cleaned up as much of the blood as she could while Elsa sat quietly. Around them, Milgard was snapping out orders at the Guard's runners, wrapping sword wounds and splinting a few men who had managed to fall over and crack bones in the chaos. There were murmurs and furtive looks directed at them. Kristoff couldn't blame them for not knowing how to react to having a wounded queen sharing their supply depot.

Kristoff had a horse waiting for Elsa by the time Anna was finished. She smoothed Elsa's loose hair over her shoulders. Kristoff handed Elsa up to the saddle and took the reins to guide the horse.

"You just don't fall off, okay?" he told her.

"I'm fine, Kristoff," she reassured him, drooping in the saddle.

Kristoff walked the horse over the causeway, holding the reins in one hand and Anna's hand in the other. She looked ready to collapse too. Kristoff led them away from the ballroom and the kitchen entrance to avoid the crowds. They left the horse by the chapel and walked in through the chapel antechamber and entered the castle from the west.

Elsa made it up the servant stairs on her feet, but the climb obviously made her dizzy. Kristoff picked her up again, and she didn't protest.

"I'll go find Gerda," Anna offered, and ran ahead of them.

"Thank you for reminding me that I promised to be here. I'd let that slip my mind," Elsa said quietly as he carried her through the corridor, his feet silent on the carpet. The walls were still decorated with paintings, candelabras, bright wallpaper and white wainscoting, as if nothing had happened.

"You stop doing things like that, all right?" Kristoff said. "I don't know how to help you when you get like that."

Elsa managed to laugh, curling her hand around the lapel of his uniform coat. "You've done fairly well so far."

"Well, I don't want any more practice at it," Kristoff told her.

"All right," Elsa answered.

Gerda and Anna were coming around the corner now, Gerda clucking her tongue and fussing at the queen. "Dearie, we've been frantic we couldn't find you! Olaf said you'd gone over the causeway. You had no business taking off like that, and yes, I will scold you for it! You're going to rest now. Anna said you bumped your head. In here, now," Gerda said, getting the door into Elsa's suite.

In her bedroom, Gerda pulled off Elsa's shoes before Kristoff set her down on the coverlet. Elsa looked up at him. "Thank you for what you did." Her hand went towards his, and then she stopped herself.

"You're welcome. Let's not do it again, okay?" Kristoff took her hand briefly, just to show that he wasn't afraid he would get frozen if he touched her. He wasn't surprised to find that her hand was ice cold. When she pulled it away, he let go.

"That's the best idea I've heard all day!" Gerda said, then looked embarrassed that she'd interrupted. She fluffed a pillow instead.

Elsa laughed. "You're a dear, Gerda, and I don't know how I could get along without you."

"We're never going to find out how you'd get along without me, and I'll ask you to make sure I never have to find out how to get along without you, understand?"

"Yes, Gerda, I promise," Elsa said.

"Shoo, now. I'm going to help her into her nightgown," Gerda told Kristoff.

Kristoff hastily backed out of the room, still surprised to see Elsa so happy and hopeful after what she'd just been through. Anna kissed Elsa's cheek and came with him.

Kristoff shut the door between Elsa's bedroom and sitting room. Anna started trembling convulsively.

"Are you all right? You were amazing, you know. I should stop being surprised when you do things like that. Come sit down." Kristoff guided her over to the couch.

Anna ended up on his lap. She buried her face in his neck and started to cry. He patted her back. "It's all right now. Everything is all right," he reassured her anxiously.

Her sobs escalated. She had both arms around his neck now, holding on tight. She was talking through her tears. He couldn't understand more than one word in twenty, but enough to catch that she was pouring out everything that had happened in the past few days, starting with Oslin's attack in the library. Had that really been only four days ago?

Anna started to hiccup. He kept stroking her hair, rubbing her back, trying to calm her down. Gerda came through Elsa's bedroom door, pulling it shut behind her.

"Just let her cry it out, poor girl. Best thing she could do right now," Gerda said quietly. She went to the dresser, got out a stack of clean handkerchiefs, and set them next to Kristoff. "I'll check back later."

There wasn't much he could do besides dab at Anna's tears. She'd sob into the handkerchief and he'd exchange it for a dry one every so often. Her tears soaked through the thick green cloth of his uniform. After a while, he stopped trying to talk her into calming down. Dusk was beginning to fall and the light in the sitting room dimmed. At last, Anna stopped hiccupping and choking on sobs. Her breathing slowed. Then she relaxed against him and her hands fell off his neck as she fell asleep.

Kristoff tucked her warm hand into his and rested his cheek on her head, savoring her closeness, cherishing the fact that she felt safe enough with him to cry herself to sleep in his arms. He hoped Gerda didn't check back for a long time. He took a deep, slow breath full of the scent of Anna's hair and released the tension of the last few days too, letting it dissolve into this sweet, soft reminder of why he'd fought a battle.

Probably an hour passed before Gerda came back. He'd dozed off too, for a few minutes.

"Come, bring her here," Gerda whispered, beckoning.

The candelabras in the hall hadn't been lit yet as he carried the sleeping princess through the dim hall, following Gerda towards Anna's rooms. He'd only ever seen her sitting room. The bedroom was pink and pretty. Anna had a canopy bed draped with red curtains. The polished wood floor was inlaid with an intricate pattern. The white wooden privacy screen in the corner was painted with floral rosemaling. White wainscoting bordered the bottom part of the wall; the top was papered in a pink diamond pattern. She'd probably slept in this room every night of her life, he thought.

He was still looking around as Gerda unbuckled Anna's shoes and pulled off her stockings. He slept on straw, or the ground, and even when he slept indoors, it was usually a shack with wind and weather coming through the cracks in the walls. He didn't think much about it unless he was around Anna, but he didn't have a home. While he had family and friends, there wasn't any place he lived more often than anywhere else. He'd never wanted to stay put, so it hadn't mattered until now.

A bird may love a fish, but where would they build a home together? It was impossible, of course. But impossible things happened all the time once Anna got involved.

He remembered back to the first moment when he'd stopped thinking of Anna as an annoyance and started to like her. They'd come up against a stone wall, literally, and there was no way to get to Elsa. Anna tried to climb the cliff. She didn't have any idea how to climb, but if that was the only way to get to her sister, she was going to learn how. He'd been a little skeptical to see the depth of her determination to reach her sister. He knew he'd never loved anyone that much. And then she'd dropped into his arms.

Gerda pulled back the blankets and he laid her down. Gerda went to close the curtains. Kristoff tucked the blankets in around Anna, smoothing her braids and placing her hand over the blanket. He kissed her forehead and then whispered something he would never dare say if she'd been awake. "I love you, Anna. I need you as much as she does. Don't give up on me either."

He followed Gerda out of the room. In the hall, she reached up and patted his scruffy cheek. "You're a dear boy, and I don't remember how we got along without you. Go get cleaned up now. There's a kitchen full of food if you're hungry. We'll find you a place to sleep tonight, too." She patted his lapel, the only clean part left on his uniform, and bustled off.

His uniform was stained with Elsa's blood on one shoulder, and soaked through with Anna's tears on the other side. He was working the clasps on the coat, trying to get it off, when a servant came down the hall, lighting the candles in their holders. Councilors Rodmund, Alan and Gustav were following him, with the castle page, Finn, holding a lantern.

"We heard you were back. Is that your blood?" Rodmund asked, nodding towards the stains on Kristoff's uniform coat.

"No, it's Elsa's blood," he replied. "She'll be all right though."

Rodmund took the lantern from Finn and pushed open a door into one of the castle's many spare parlors. "Finn, please run along to the kitchen and bring Kristoff a tray of food and drink. You'll find us in here."

Finn bowed and ran off.

"Have a seat Kristoff, and start talking." Rodmund set the lantern on the side table and lit the candles on the walls of the small room while Alan and Gustav found chairs for them all.

Kristoff started talking.


	25. Chapter 25 - Other Monsters

**Chapter 25 – Other Monsters**

Elsa refused to stay in bed the next day. "It's just a bump on the head, Gerda. Really, it feels better to sit up."

It was the fact that Elsa ate everything on the breakfast tray that convinced Gerda she felt fine. Gerda helped her dress, then gently combed out the parts of her hair that wouldn't tug on her wound. The injury was on the back of her head, where she would normally wear her hair twisted into a bun, so Gerda left her hair loose, flowing over her shoulders, with just the locks around her face pulled up on top of her head and tied with a ribbon. Gerda brought her a dress of plum purple with a black yoke accenting her slender waist and rosemaling embroidered over the shoulders and neckline. Her pale hair falling over her shoulders contrasted with the dark colors of the dress, but there was enough cheer in her face today that it looked dramatic instead of washed out.

"You should dress more like a queen today," Gerda told her, lacing up the back.

Elsa fingered the black gloves that Gerda had gotten out of her drawer. Some of her confidence from yesterday was fading in the light of day. There was no telling what would happen today, and it was better to be cautious than reckless. Elsa put the gloves on. She could always take them off later.

"Perhaps I'll stay upstairs," Elsa suggested. The effort of being up made her head throb more than she wanted to admit. She also wasn't quite brave enough to face an entire castle full of people, who may or may not have heard about what she did yesterday, unless Anna was with her. "Would you let people know I'll be in the parlor down the hall?"

"Of course, dearie. The villagers will start going home soon, once they've had their fill of breakfast. So much to do today!" Gerda told her.

Gerda escorted her down the hall. They met Councilor Bern before they even reached the parlor. He was dressed plainly, in a black vest over a brown shirt with the sleeves rolled up. There was enough dust on his trousers to suggest he'd already been at work for a few hours today.

He stared at her until she said, "good morning," her hand going to her loose hair. He was probably surprised at the way she looked.

"Yes, of course it is. I mean, good morning to you as well," Bern recovered himself and bowed. He got the door to the parlor and bowed again, letting her precede him into the room. He pulled the chairs around to center around a small table, and escorted Elsa to the room's single couch. He took a seat on a chair facing her as Gerda plumped a final pillow, poked another stick of wood onto the fire, and left.

"Thank you for your help yesterday with the children. I was so afraid there would be a riot, and then you and Anna changed everything," Elsa said.

He waved a dismissive hand. "It was nothing. I play the violin, and for once it proved useful. I heard a few reports of your adventures, though. I came to see if you're all right."

"Yes," Elsa said, looking down and taking a deep breath. She'd promised to face what she'd done. "I imagine you can't even imagine," she trailed off.

"I've seen it before, actually. I saw the snow creature you created at your ice palace on the North Mountain," Bern said.

"Oh! That's right! A few days ago, Lieutenant Almar told me you were there," Elsa turned a startled look in his direction. A blush began to creep up her neck and she was glad her hair was loose and hiding it. Yesterday, she'd thought Kristoff was the first man who had ever carried her like that, but he wasn't. Bern had brought her all the way back from the North Mountain and then tried to save her from Prince Hans. "I hadn't known before, or I would have thanked you. Thank you for watching out for me."

"It was my honor, truly it was," Bern replied.

There was a pause as Elsa's blush crept further up her neck to stain her cheeks.

"Those snow beasts yesterday were surprisingly loyal to you. I suppose you already know they only attacked the Hamarians," Bern said.

"What? No, I didn't know," Elsa gratefully reached for the change of subject. "I was afraid I'd unleashed them on Arendelle and they'd destroy everything."

"After the children mostly settled down to sleep last night, I went over the causeway to see how things were going. The fight was over by then, so Lieutenant Almar just rolled his eyes at me and told me to stay out of the way when I said I wanted to go. When I showed up at the Village Green, Milgard pressed me into service." He gave her a wry smile. "What that means is I held a lantern for him and handed him things while he bandaged people up. I heard more than one Castle Guard tell a story about being in a swordfight with the Hamarians and having one of those monsters swipe the Hamarians into a wall and leave the guardsman alone. By the time the monsters disappeared, there weren't many Hamarians left who could fight."

Elsa had her hands pressed to her cheeks. "That's the most wonderful thing you could have told me. I was so afraid of what I'd done, and what might have happened."

Bern leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Are you going to stay with us?" he asked directly.

"Yes," she answered immediately. "I had a chance to leave yesterday but I decided to stay, and this time I mean it. I keep thinking I can run away from who I am, but I think I know how I can learn to live with myself instead."

"You did well to learn that in only four months," Bern observed.

"Twenty-one years," Elsa corrected him.

"It's only been four months since you started to actually work on the problem instead of hiding it. No one makes progress alone," Bern said.

"I tried so hard, but you're right, I didn't make any progress at all until Anna set me off and I blew up my secret in everyone's face," Elsa said. Bern was so candid and accepting that it was easy to talk about what she was dealing with. "If only it wasn't so terrifying and destructive." Elsa pulled off her glove and held out her bare hand. Snow flowers and spirals flickered up, shimmered for a few seconds, then dissolved.

"Yes, terrifying, I see what you mean," Bern said drily.

That made her laugh as she put her glove back on. "You know what I mean!"

"I do, actually. Your Majesty, may I beg the liberty of sharing something personal with you?" Bern asked. "I thought it might help to know what I understand about you."

"Yes, of course," Elsa replied, intrigued. No one understood her.

"You remember my parents, Lord Tyvard and Lady Nadja, I assume?"

"I remember your father," Elsa said. Lord Tyvard had been Bern's predecessor as Councilor over Economic Affairs. When he'd suffered his stroke, Rodmund had persuaded them to appoint Bern to the Council in hopes that it would be a temporary appointment. It would be easier to ask a son to give way to a returning father than asking someone else to step aside when Tyvard returned. But Tyvard had not recovered and Bern's appointment became permanent by default.

"I must admit I don't recall meeting your mother," Elsa said. "Or if I did, I don't remember. I tried to avoid people for so many years. Your father is in poor health now, and I don't even think to ask how he's doing. Please forgive me. How is he?"

"About the same. I saw him last month when I went to visit for a few days. He can speak a few words at a time, but he's hard to understand. He can feed himself again, and sit up occasionally. It's highly unlikely he'll ever walk again," Bern said. He pressed his lips together, sadness and frustration in his gray eyes. "Mother stays with him constantly."

"You don't go home very much, do you?" Elsa asked before realizing how critical the question sounded. "I apologize. It's none of my business."

"It may not be your business, but it's why I understand what it feels like to wonder if you really are a monster and everyone who thinks you're a good person is mistaken," Bern said with a pensive look. "I'm the fourth of six children."

"Have I met your siblings?" Elsa asked.

"No, and you won't. I'm the only survivor. I had two sisters and three brothers who all died of various illnesses as children. My mother never really got over it." He smiled sadly. "That's an understatement, I suppose. She never got over it at all. It's like every death happened yesterday. She clung to me and tried to protect me from everything. It's understandable, of course. She needed to defend the last child she had left from anything that might have hurt me or taken me from her. But it got to be too much for me to handle. Father finally intervened. They had a terrible fight, but he made it possible for me to start living my own life. Mother never forgave him. She never forgave me either," Bern said, his voice full of regret and guilt.

"I'm so sorry," Elsa said.

"Thank you. You should feel more sorry for her than for me, though. A mother whose children have died is in terrible pain, and I've added to it instead of comforting her. I tried to comfort her, I really did, but I couldn't. When she asked me to come home and take care of them a few months ago, I told her no," Bern said quietly, not meeting her eyes. "What kind of monstrous son refuses to be around his mother because she needs him too much? I'm sure all of her friends share her opinion of me. I'm an ungrateful monster, every mother's worst nightmare. She's told me so."

Elsa searched for some words of comfort, but she couldn't find them. Bern really had done something horrible, and was doing it still.

"If I created a snowball every time I wondered if I was a monster and thought the world would be better off without me, I could bury Arendelle in snow deeper than you could," Bern said. "All your monsters and fears are on display for everyone to see. The rest of us can hide ours. We pretend to normality, but you're nowhere near as different as you think you are. You're just forced to be a lot more honest."

"I keep trying," Elsa said, wondering why Bern had given up.

"I did try, your Majesty," Bern said, his voice full of pain. "But my best efforts aren't enough. I'm not the son she wants. I'm a permanent failure as a son, and I hide from my failure at the castle, in my work, and try not to think about it because it hurts too much."

When he put it into those words, she realized she did understand why he'd given up. "I'm not the daughter my parents wanted either," Elsa admitted. "I tried so hard, but they didn't want a daughter with the problems I have. I tried to control it well enough that they would love me and let me out of my room, but I never could. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply you hadn't tried. I'm the last person who can ever say that anyone just has to try harder and problems will go away."

Bern was nodding, his eyes full of understanding and relief at being understood. It made him look so vulnerable. She wanted to put her arms around him and tell him everything would be all right. The impulse startled her and she shifted on the couch to put more distance between them even as she never wanted this conversation to end.

"Bern, how do you learn to live with it? I'll never be the person I wish I was either. What do you do? What do I do?" Elsa pleaded. Anna had given her the final destination last night – acceptance. But telling Elsa to accept herself was like telling Anna to stop caring for Kristoff. It was easy to see why that would make life easier, but hearts are not so easily changed as heads. Bern understood what she lived with. He must have the answers she sought so desperately and could map out the road she needed to take to reach that final destination of acceptance.

Bern was shaking his head slowly. "I keep watching you and looking for clues. Do you have any idea how much I admire you? You keep trying. You have all these chances to retreat, but you keep coming back out, and you don't even have the luxury of hiding things like I can. I don't know how you do it. I don't know how I do it. You just keep going."

"Oh, I thought there was an answer you could give me," Elsa said sadly.

That made him laugh, a short, unhappy laugh. "If I ever find one, I'll share it with you. Why do you keep trying? Maybe you can tell me the answer."

Bern had his head in his hands, his fingers thrusting through his short, dark hair. She studied him and thought about his question.

"Because the alternative is to go back into hiding. I've been there. It's worse than being out here," Elsa concluded. "And because of Anna, of course." Then she wanted to bite her tongue. Bern didn't have someone like Anna. She'd never considered the possibility that there might be someone who felt like she did, and who was even more alone than she was.

"I suppose that's our answer, isn't it? The alternative is worse," Bern said.

"That sounds so bleak," Elsa replied.

They both jumped a bit when someone knocked on the door. Kai pushed it open and bowed. "Lord Councilor Vilrun to see you, your Majesty."

"Of course," Elsa said, rising to her feet.

"I've monopolized enough of your morning. My apologies, your Majesty," Bern said, also getting to his feet.

"Please no apologies. I would like to continue our discussion," Elsa said. There had to be a happier answer. Maybe they could find it together. She wished she'd thought to ask him to drop the formalities and call her Elsa, but she couldn't say that in front of Kai and Vilrun. Instead, she offered him her hand.

He took it and bowed, pressing her gloved fingers gently between his own before releasing them. She felt his warmth through her glove. When she got her hand back, she curled up her fingers. The impulse to offer her hand to Bern had felt natural, and the sheer normality of it startled her.

"Good morning, Vilrun," Bern greeted him.

"Good morning. Please forgive the interruption," Vilrun replied. For a man who had vanquished an enemy yesterday, he looked very sad. He wasn't a tall man, barely taller than Elsa's, and this morning his muscular shoulders slumped a bit.

"No apology necessary," Bern replied. He bowed again and left.

"Come in, Vilrun," Elsa said. She gestured for him to take a seat, but he remained standing.

"Your Majesty, I came to report that Gerhard and Oslin are dead. The executions went without incident."

"On whose authority were the executions ordered?" Elsa asked, astonished. "I wasn't even aware that Gerhard had been captured." Shock warred with relief. After everything that had already wrung her out this week, ordering executions might have set her off again, wondering whether she was human or a monster.

"You were otherwise occupied yesterday, your Majesty," Vilrun said. "I captured Gerhard after a swordfight. I consulted briefly with several of the other Councilors, but the executions were done on my initiative and authority. I thought to spare you that ordeal, and if it was a mistake, then it was simply the last in a long line of mistakes."

He offered her a folded paper. "I have this, your Majesty. It's my resignation from the Council. I made serious errors, and only the luck and skill of others saved Arendelle from destruction. I am not fit to continue as Councilor."

Elsa didn't take the paper. The relief was quickly eclipsing the shock. Vilrun had done what needed to be done, and had probably wanted to avoid consulting with her, given her previous decision. Vilrun had been the most vocal in his disagreement about her decision to spare Prince Hans' life. She'd never told anyone the real reason she'd flatly refused to allow Prince Hans to be executed. She had no such reasons to stand in the way of Gerhard's and Oslin's executions, but Vilrun wouldn't have known that.

"Your resignation?" she echoed.

"I'm aware of my failings, your Majesty," Vilrun said quietly. "I thought to also spare you the ordeal of asking me to step down."

Elsa considered for a moment. Vilrun was not who he wanted to be either. "You did make mistakes, Vilrun, and serious ones. But no other Councilor of Public Order in Arendelle's history has had to deal with the situation you dealt with, and only a few months into your service as Councilor."

She took the letter of resignation from his hand and tore it in half, then in fourths. She walked over and tossed it in the fireplace where the flames crackled merrily to have something that burned so easily. "You've learned from your mistakes. Your loyalty and courage are unquestioned. I don't want your resignation. I want you in your seat when the Council meets again. There's always room in Arendelle for someone who needs another chance."

Vilrun's face was not one that showed relief or happiness easily. His brows were too thick, and not even a smile could lift those sagging jowls. But his lips pressed together and his chin shook once. "Thank you, your Majesty. Thank you. I won't disappoint you again."

"I'll try to do the same, Vilrun," Elsa replied.

* * *

><p><strong>Author note: Bern's full backstory is in "Queen Elsa's Councilor."<strong>


	26. Chapter 26 - The Unexpected Battle

**Chapter 26 – The Unexpected Battle**

Kristoff was up early the morning after the battle. After seeing the size of the crowds in the ballroom, he'd gone out to the stable and curled up next to Sven on a pile of straw. Sven had snuffled at him, yawned, and gone back to sleep.

After breakfast, he headed across the causeway to find Lieutenant Moyes and see if there was something he should be doing. He got pressed into service helping villagers sort through items they'd left at the causeway the day before, and helping people get back to their homes. As the morning wore on, word spread about who he was and what he'd done. Instead of working, Kristoff was constantly interrupted by people who wanted to talk to him and thank him. At first he didn't mind it, but as it kept happening, he began to get very self-conscious.

Lieutenant Moyes finally fished him out of the crowd and sent him to check in with Captain Torvin at the Village Green.

"My first impulse would be to send you up to Tanner's Wash to help deal with the wounded Hamarians, then check on the hamlets on the mountainside to make sure they're not getting bothered by any stray Hamarians," Torvin told him frankly. "But you're not an ordinary recruit and until they put you under my express authority, I'm not doing anything without Councilor Vilrun's approval. Why don't you find him and ask him if we can send you back up to the mountains for a few days?"

"Yes, sir," Kristoff replied, and tried a salute.

Torvin raised his eyebrows. "Three fingers, not four, and flatten the angle a bit. Don't point at your hairline." He demonstrated the salute.

Kristoff copied it.

"Sufficient. Dismissed," Torvin told him.

Kristoff crossed the causeway again and found Vilrun coming out of the castle's main entrance. "Kristoff! Good to see you! I've been talking to Gustav about you just now. Obviously, Arendelle's relations with Hamar are dicey at the moment, though their government wasn't directly involved in the hostilities. We may have a few tasks for you, once we get things sorted out more," Vilrun said.

"Okay, sir. Captain Torvin wants to send me up to Tanner's Wash, but he said to check with you before he gave me any orders," Kristoff replied.

"We need about three of you right now, don't we? Let's give you a couple hours while we decide which direction to send you. Come with me," Vilrun said, turning towards the west side of the castle where the chapel and guards' quarters were located.

"I'll do whatever you need, sir, but then, um, you know that part you put in my oath about how I was just a guardsman for as long as there was a crisis? I was wondering, once the crisis is over, if I could get out soon," Kristoff said.

"The phrase you're looking for is an 'honorable discharge.' You're asking to be honorably discharged at the end of your service," Vilrun supplied.

"Yes, sir. Can I be honorably discharged?"

"You don't have to, you know. We'd be happy to keep you. You showed some real potential during the battle for leadership and courage," Vilrun told him. "The guardsmen could make room for someone with a little more creativity that we're accustomed to."

"I don't know if I can stay. I belong up there," Kristoff said, gesturing towards the mountains. The snowline was halfway down the mountain now. There would have been frost at their ice lakes last night. Today was even warmer than yesterday, with a high layer of white clouds keeping the temperature up without threatening more snow.

"It's not a bad place to be," Vilrun acknowledged. "You're starting to belong down here too, don't you think? Gerry and Lon consider you a friend, you know. Lieutenant Moyes is impressed with you. What you've done has already won you a place, if you care to take it."

Vilrun was the only man who had ever tried to rein in Kristoff. And while he'd done it clumsily, the effort had still connected with something in Kristoff, the part of him that was only running away to see if anyone cared enough to come after him and bring him back.

"I don't know," Kristoff said slowly. "I don't last long around people. I come around, but then I've got to get back to the mountains. Those trolls raised me, and I spent too much time without people as a kid to spend every waking minute with people now. Sometimes I have to get away, and I get the feeling that taking off unannounced wouldn't sit well with Captain Torvin."

"The guardsmen do get days off," Vilrun said.

"It's not that predictable for me," said Kristoff. He'd never thought about his need to simply take off because he'd never considered staying in one place. But now that staying was a possibility, he realized how trapped he would feel. Just the idea of staying out of the mountains dropped a rock into his stomach and made his chest tight. He couldn't stay in one place. Other people could. That's the real reason why they had homes and he didn't.

"Well, think about it," Vilrun said. "We won't keep you if you want to go. But I heard Councilor Alan say he's going to ask Queen Elsa for the commission to build your sled. You may have to wait a few weeks, but a sled built by one of the finest Master Carpenters in Arendelle will be worth the wait. We'll discharge you at that point. No sense trying to harvest ice without a sled, am I right?"

Kristoff had to nod. There wasn't much he could do without a sled.

"Fine, fine," Vilrun said. "For the time being, we have another fellow who is new to swordplay. He's a good match for you in height and reach. We'll see how you shape up against each other. Guardsman Riks is a fine teacher."

Kristoff was surprised to find out that the new man Vilrun was referring to was Bern. They were in the courtyard by the guards' quarters. Bern was in an ordinary, long-sleeved brown shirt with a black vest, holding the standard double-sided sword all the guardsmen carried. Riks was out of uniform. Kristoff had removed his blood-stained uniform coat last night and not replaced it with anything. He was in the same type of pullover shirt that Riks was wearing, with a sash wrapped around his waist and uniform trousers.

Riks stood next to Bern, demonstrating lunges and parries while Gerry stood opposite, providing an opponent. Lon was sitting on a barrel and calling out advice every so often. Lieutenant Almar was the only member of the bodyguard squadron that wasn't there.

Riks saluted Vilrun. "Good morning, sir."

Vilrun returned the salute. "Good morning. I brought you a new trainee. I thought you might see how he stands up to Bern. How are things going, Bern?"

"Not too bad," Bern replied. He tried a couple of steps with a swipe of his sword. "The footwork reminds me of a dance, except you're trying to kill your opponent instead of woo them."

"You must be really popular with the ladies," Gerry observed.

"No, he's got a point there," Vilrun said, pulling his own sword. "Bern, this is the regency march in three-quarter time." He brandished his sword and minced down the bricks, obviously slowing his sword slashes to let Bern catch up to him.

"And now we return down the line," Bern said, reversing course and dancing back to the starting point, swinging his sword at random.

"Your Lordships, please," Riks said with a pained expression.

In spite of himself, Kristoff was laughing along with Gerry and Lon. Vilrun was positively giddy today, which was not a mood that sat naturally on him, and the incongruity just made it funnier to see him like this. Bern seemed a little lighter than usual as well. Kristoff assumed it was due to the victory yesterday.

"All right, I'll leave you to your more dignified pursuits," Vilrun said. "I assume Lieutenant Almar is still meeting with Captain Torvin and the other lieutenants."

"Yes, sir," Riks replied. "We'll undoubtedly have orders once he gets back."

"Ah, then, I won't occupy your free time any further. Carry on, gentlemen." Vilrun returned their salutes and walked off in the direction of the causeway.

"Here, Kristoff, you can use my sword," Lon offered.

Riks showed him the basics, then told Kristoff to parry when Bern lunged.

"Move your feet more," Riks said.

Kristoff tried it again.

"He's faster than you are," Riks told him. "Here, put your sword down and watch my feet. You're waiting too long before you step."

"I told you it was like dancing," Bern observed.

"On guard, sir!" Gerry said to Bern and came at him. While Gerry was obviously slowing his sword, Bern did a fair job of parrying and then going on the offensive.

Kristoff watched their feet. "I have to do that?"

Riks shrugged. "Let me show you how to use brute strength to overcome a faster opponent. He's quicker, but you've probably got twenty pounds on him and it's all muscle. Swing like this." Riks demonstrated.

"Gerry, show me how to counter that," Bern said. "How come he gets to win?"

Bern and Kristoff faced off and managed not to hurt each other by accident while Riks called out the moves they should be practicing. Bern was grinning and having such a good time that Kristoff started laughing every time he exaggerated his footwork. Bern was as giddy as Vilrun. Riks sighed and threw up his hands.

"Come on, Riks, you don't expect anyone to be serious today, do you?" Gerry chided him.

"I guess not," Riks said. "But I've got other things to tend to before they put us to work again. Another time, your Lordship?"

"That's fine, Riks," Bern replied. "I appreciate it, and I'll be more serious next time. Let me know if you want to trade for violin lessons."

Riks gave him a look and then decided he was joking.

"Kristoff, I've got something else to teach you. Can you meet me by the grand staircase in about half an hour?" Bern said to him.

"Sure he can," Lon answered for him. "Come on, Kristoff. Let's go see what the kitchen has left to eat. First rule of guard life is to never pass up a chance to eat."

"I thought that was the first rule of life in general," Kristoff replied as they walked off together.

~###~

Princess Anna slept in, which wasn't unusual. She awoke disoriented. It took a few seconds to recall why she'd slept in her clothes, and then the entire previous day came flooding back in an overwhelming rush and she put her hands in her face and tried not to cry again. It was all over, and the relief broke down the strength she'd kept propping up and she simply wanted to curl up and cry some more. If she could trust her memory, she'd cried on Kristoff last night, and then she couldn't remember telling him good night. She must have fallen asleep on him and he must have carried her to bed. She blushed furiously and hoped he'd gone to harvest an ice block or something. Undoubtedly that meant she'd see him again within the next five minutes. He was never around when she wanted him around, but he was sure to be close by when she was too embarrassed to look at him.

Well, he ought to be embarrassed to see her too, what with losing the sled she'd given him in an avalanche and telling the trolls he'd propose to her. Maybe they could mutually avoid each other. That would make them both happy. Except she was the one who had sent him off to wipe out an army and he probably felt like he needed to report back to her. Being embarrassed and angry at him would work out a lot better if he hadn't gone and gotten all heroic and almost won the war single-handedly, then helped rescue Elsa last night and been unbelievably wonderful. If she ripped his ears off with a scolding, like he deserved, she was going to look petty. Kristoff was so infuriating that way.

Feeling out of sorts, Anna got out of bed and found something clean and unwrinkled to wear. It was a green bodice and skirt over a blue blouse, with matching blue designs along the hem of the skirt. Her hair was still braided. She used some water from the basin to pat down a few flyaway hairs and decided it was good enough.

Breakfast was downstairs in the ballroom where some of the villagers were still eating and others were gathering up their things and leaving. She eavesdropped on wild rumors about snow monsters and Hamarian soldiers as she ate a plate of fried potatoes with ham and drank hot cider.

The child who had performed as the woodcutter last night came up and sat down on the bench next to her. "Are monsters real?" he asked her.

"I've seen some," Anna hedged.

The little brother who had been the wolf joined them. "I told you so!"

"Is it the queen that makes them? Will they come get me if I'm bad?" the woodcutter demanded. He seemed more angry than scared at the possibility.

"They won't come get you if you're bad," Anna said, avoiding the first question.

"Unless the queen knows you're bad, then she'll send them after you," the younger brother concluded triumphantly.

"That is not how it works!" Anna objected.

"Yeah, Princess Anna is the boss of all the fairy tales, and she says so!" the woodcutter said, trouncing his younger brother.

Anna watched them roll on the floor trying to punch each other and decided that was better than the conversation they'd been having. She finished up her fried potatoes and took her plate and mug to the kitchen.

Kristoff was there, chatting with Lon, one of the guards who had been Elsa's bodyguard. Lon was in full uniform. Kristoff was missing his uniform coat. He only had the thin linen shirt the guards wore under the coat tucked into his green trousers with a sash. Anna would have avoided the kitchen, but he'd already seen her and was getting up, excusing himself from Lon, who left out the door into the kitchen courtyard with a wave.

He took the dishes from her. "Good morning. Did you sleep well? How are you?" He was smiling at her. He deposited her dishes in a sink and turned back, taking her elbow and escorting her out to the hallway and out of the crowd.

"Good morning. I'm fine, thank you. I'm fine," she repeated, pulling her elbow out of his grasp and turning to leave.

"Hey, come on! A little more than that, please," he said.

She could feel the blush flooding from her neck to her hairline. "Thank you for what you did yesterday. All the days, really. You were amazing." He was standing too close. His thin shirt was loose at the neckline. Kristoff usually wore several layers of shirts, sweaters, vests or pullovers and this wasn't enough, especially considering the fact she'd apparently cried herself to sleep on his chest last night.

"Then what's wrong?" he asked her, puzzled.

"Nothing! Everything! You! Oh, don't ask me that!" Anna was near tears again. She was so tired of being strong.

"Come here," he said, trying to guide her further down the hall to a bench outside the formal dining room. He sat down and patted the seat next to him.

She wouldn't sit next to him. If she was that close to him and he started being wonderful again, she'd cry some more, and he'd comfort her, and she'd be needy enough to believe he'd be there every time she needed him, and then it would hurt that much more when he disappeared again.

He was looking at her like he had no idea what was wrong, which made her even angrier because it suggested she didn't have any reason to be so upset at him.

"Don't you have to go follow an order or something?" she snapped at him.

"Well, you kind of outrank everyone else I report to," he pointed out. "How about you give me an order to follow?"

She stamped her foot. "Oooh! Stop doing that!"

"Stop doing what?" He looked genuinely confused.

"Stop acting like you're even going to care what I say! You're just going to leave again. You always leave! And you never even tell me you're going! You're just gone and I feel silly that I even went looking for you. I never know when you're coming back, either," Anna poured out. He wasn't going to be there when she needed him. Somehow that was more frightening than anything else. He kept abandoning her; she couldn't rely on him; it was foolish to trust him.

"You told me to leave. You gave me an order, actually," he said, still looking confused.

"Not the time before that! Or the time before that! Or the time before that! Or the time before that! Or the time before that! Or that other time!"

"Anna," he finally interrupted, "we haven't know each other that many times."

"But even if we had known each other, you still would have left!" she accused him.

"There were soldiers coming, Anna," he said, the confusion starting to give way to dismay at her anger. "I had to leave."

"I know that! And that's another thing! Where do you get the idea to set off an avalanche? You weren't supposed to get yourself killed!"

"I didn't get myself killed, I'm right here," he objected.

"Don't change the subject! And you're up there with the trolls, setting off avalanches and floods and acting like it's fun! And that's another thing! You're going to propose to me because you told the trolls you'd marry me? What makes you think I want to marry you?" Anna's voice was carrying and people in the hallway were loitering, trying to pretend they weren't listening.

"I told them," Kristoff began.

Anna didn't let him defend himself. "So now I've got to wonder whether you actually like me, or if I'm just part of some deal you made so you could be a hero and save all Arendelle?"

"Well, marrying the princess is what the hero gets to do after he saves the kingdom," Kristoff said under his breath. Unfortunately, Anna had paused to breathe at that moment and heard him.

"Oh, that was completely the wrong answer, Kristoff! Don't you go thinking that I can't change the ending to fairy tales. I do that all the time! I'm not a prize!" Anna hollered.

Gerda came out of the kitchen and shooed the servants out of the hallway. Then she marched over and took Kristoff's elbow and pushed him towards the empty serving room off the dining room. "Go in there, we don't need more of a scene than she's already made." Then she turned back to Anna, who was alternating between seething and trying not to cry. "Your Highness, every word you say is going into that helping of humble pie you're going to be eating later when you apologize to him, so give some thought to sweetening your words a bit." She guided Anna into the empty serving room and shut the door behind them.

"Anna," Kristoff said softly, trying to hold her.

She shoved his hands away. "Don't! You were wonderful last night, and that means you'll leave! You do that! You rescue me, and then you leave. You rescue me again, and then you leave again! Every time you help me, I make the mistake of thinking I can need you, and then you leave. You stop it! Just stop it! You're so confusing!"

"I'm the confusing one?!" he protested.

Anna had the back of her hand pressed to her mouth, trying to hold back the hysterics. Part of her knew she was being unreasonable, but it couldn't get past the horrible fear that if she let herself need him, he wouldn't be there. She always had to be the strong one, putting everyone else's needs ahead of her own. She wasn't allowed to need anyone. She'd tried to need people, and they always abandoned her. They did, every single one of them! Or at least that one person, whom she'd needed so much and he'd not only abandoned her, he'd laughed at her for thinking she could rely on him.

She'd sworn she'd never need anyone like that again, and then she'd let herself need Kristoff last night. He left too; he left all the time. It was just a fluke that he was around this morning. She couldn't need Kristoff. He might not be as mean about it as Prince Hans, but he would still leave her too. Prince Hans had been as wonderful as Kristoff, right up until he betrayed her and left her for dead. She had such poor judgment; they'd both told her that. Her stupidity overwhelmed her and the hysterics came through.

"Don't follow me," she managed to say. "There's an order for you to follow. Just leave me alone."

Anna fled.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note: Before you jump all over me . . . This chapter is how Anna deals with the emotional fallout of Prince Hans' betrayal. In my opinion, if someone hurts you that badly, the hurt lasts. Technically, Kristoff is a rebound relationship for Anna. If you've ever been in one of those, you know how much drama you catch because the other person is still reeling from the previous relationship (or you're the one inflicting the drama). Anna thought she was fine, right up until she caught herself needing Kristoff. It was moving their relationship to the next emotional level that set off her hidden fears. If this is going to get past being a rebound relationship, then Anna has to deal with those fears.<strong>

**And a general comment about something you've already noticed: Kristoff is the protagonist of this story, along with Anna. I sidelined Elsa. I deliberately made Elsa fragile enough that Anna and Kristoff had to step up and deal, which resulted in lots of character development for them. I think it also helped develop Elsa's character to force her out of the isolation that can accompany self-sufficiency. She's got to trust others because she isn't strong enough to go it alone. She gets the spotlight back in a sequel though.  
><strong>


	27. Chapter 27 - Teaching a Bird To Swim

**Chapter 27 – Teaching the Bird How to Swim**

Kristoff waited for Bern on the grand staircase, his head down on his folded arms. He hoped that Vilrun would send him off to the mountains, and he wouldn't bother ever coming back. Nick couldn't haul ice this season because of his leg; maybe he could use his sled, anything to avoid the castle and Anna. He'd been flying so high an hour ago, and now he hurt more than he'd ever hurt in his life.

"Hey, Kristoff," Bern greeted him.

Kristoff got up and tried to look like his whole world hadn't just blown apart. Bern walked him to the portrait gallery. The portrait gallery was deserted, as always. It was one of the only rooms on the castle's main level that hadn't been used for the villagers. Instead, they'd stashed some of the more valuable or breakable items in it to protect them. The room was large enough that, even with extra vases, tapestries, suits of armor, and decorative tables, there was still a wide portion of empty floor.

"What are we doing?" Kristoff asked.

"I'm going to teach you how to dance," Bern said.

"Haven't I been through enough for today?" Kristoff complained.

"We're having an awards ceremony as soon as we can get it organized for all of you hero types. Don't mention that to Queen Elsa yet, because we haven't checked with her, but I can't imagine she'll say no. There's going to be a ball afterwards," Bern said. "Do you want to dance with Princess Anna or not?"

"She won't want to dance with me," Kristoff said. He tried to bottle it up, but it was too fresh and everything spilled out. "She's mad at me, and I don't know why. Bern, I fought that whole battle for Anna. I can't even describe what I felt when Oslin attacked her, and protecting her from guys like that was the reason I was up there in the mountains. Maybe other guards would have been following orders, but I was just counting off soldiers as we wiped them out and thinking, 'there's one less person who can threaten Anna,' or her sister of course. Last night, I thought I'd done a pretty good job. Then just now, everything went wrong and she's mad at me but I couldn't figure out why. I mean, I know she doesn't want me to like her anyway, and I guess I hoped, I don't know, I just hoped."

Bern was listening and Kristoff kept going. "Did you hear what she did yesterday? There's about ten of us guards, and we're staring down this snow monster, completely freaked out by the weird magic going on, and I tell Anna where Elsa is and she doesn't even hesitate, she just charges right towards that monster to get to Elsa. None of us dared rescue Elsa. And we're all trying to keep up with her and wondering why this girl in braids is braver than the whole lot of us put together. Everyone's calling me a hero, but I'll never come close to Anna's heroics. I'm completely in love with her and she can't stand me. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to love someone who won't even give you permission to like her?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Bern said.

"Really? Who's giving you the cold shoulder?" Kristoff asked.

"Vixie."

Kristoff gave him a suspicious look. "Fine, don't tell me who it is."

Bern brushed it off and went on. "Look, you're right about Anna. I think all of us have been guilty of underestimating her at one time or another. She is quite remarkable, isn't she? Give her some time to stop misjudging you too, Kristoff. She's been through some terribly upsetting events in these past several months," Bern said, clasping Kristoff's shoulder and giving him a shake. "I'm sorry Princess Anna is mad at you, I really am. If I could say something helpful, I would. But at least your lady fair is willing to dance; mine refuses to dance. Even if Princess Anna is angry, she may still say yes if you ask her to dance, even if it's just for the opportunity to smash your toes. You just need to be able to partner her."

Kristoff nodded and decided that learning to dance might be complicated enough to take his mind off his misery. "Hey, do you want me to start calling you 'sir' or 'Councilor' or anything like that?" he asked as he adjusted a buckle on his tall black boot.

Bern snorted at him. "If you called me 'sir' at this point, I'd probably turn around to see who you were talking to. 'Bern' is fine, just don't ever call me Bernard. Get out here." Bern walked to a square of empty floor and waited for Kristoff to join him. "Stand next to me and watch my feet. Dance on your toes as much as you can. You're less likely to step on her toes if you're not using your whole foot," Bern instructed him. "Now watch."

Kristoff took a couple steps and then lost track of what his feet were supposed to do. "Your full name is Bernard, huh?"

"You can forget you know that," Bern said. "Start over."

"Nah, I might need something someday," Kristoff said. "That could come in handy." He managed to copy Bern's footwork a couple extra steps before getting lost again. This was helping. The knot in his chest was loosening as he talked with Bern.

"You know," Bern said conversationally as he corrected Kristoff's steps again, "if my little brother had lived, he would be about your age. I used to throw him in the horse trough when he pestered me. You could get dunked in the harbor if you had it coming."

"You'd have to catch me first," Kristoff said, and he actually managed a half-hearted smile.

"I'm faster than you are, remember?"

"What are you doing?" It was Tilly, Councilor Alan's youngest daughter, still wearing the dress and pinafore she'd been in when her family had refugeed to the castle yesterday. Her hair had been brushed and was neatly tucked into ribbons again. She peeked around the door they'd left open and then came into the room, trailed by her siblings.

"Tilly! So glad you came! I need you to help me teach Kristoff how to dance," Bern greeted her.

Tilly giggled into her hand.

"I'll do it!" Sophronia volunteered. Erik, Don and Zander were coming up behind her.

"Girl stuff," Erik said in disgust.

"Nothing wrong with girl stuff," Zander said. "Can you teach me too, sir?"

"Yeah, Zander wants to dance with Tyra," Don said slyly, and Zander hit him in the stomach.

"Boys!" Councilor Alan said sharply, catching up to his children.

"Good afternoon, Bern," Charlotte said, following her family into the portrait gallery. "Please introduce me," she said with a nod towards Kristoff.

"Lady Charlotte, this is Kristoff, whom I'm sure you've heard about. Kristoff, this is Lady Charlotte, Lord Alan's wife and mother to these fine children," Bern said.

Lady Charlotte offered Kristoff her hand and Kristoff looked uncertainly at Bern.

"Take her hand and bow over it," Bern whispered to him.

Kristoff followed instructions.

"Since Kristoff can do everything else already, I thought I'd teach him how to behave in polite company," Bern explained to Charlotte.

"I'm sure he's a quick study," Charlotte said with a laugh. "Are you teaching him to dance?"

"I'm dancing!" Tilly shouted, twirling off in pirouettes around the portrait gallery.

"Are you going to dance with the princess?" Zander asked him.

"If she'll say yes," Kristoff answered. "Right now, she thinks I'm a complete idiot."

Alan laughed and shook his head knowingly. "It's fairly normal for the lady to conclude the gentleman is a complete idiot from time to time." He turned to Charlotte. "Dear, when was the last time you thought I was a complete idiot? And will you still dance with me?"

"Day before yesterday," Charlotte said without hesitation. "And yes."

"You see how well I'm doing today?" Alan said proudly.

"That begs the question of what happened the day before yesterday," Bern pointed out.

"He volunteered Zander to go with you to spread the evacuation notice throughout Arendelle Village. Soldiers were going to be attacking at any time, which is the reason we were at the castle, and he sent Zander back out there," Charlotte explained to Bern.

"It wasn't dangerous," Bern and Zander said together.

"Huh," Kristoff said with a blink. "Do men and women have different ideas of where the line is between dangerous and really fun?"

"I'll say," Zander said fervently.

"Do you want to come ice blocking with me down Calamity Peak?" Kristoff asked him.

Zander said yes as Erik and Don begged to come too, at the same time Lady Charlotte emphatically said 'no' and Lord Alan said 'we'll see.'

Kristoff watched them have a heated discussion and started to think that maybe he and Anna weren't so far away from normal after all.

"Hey Councilor Alan, does she get mad at you if you leave for a month without telling her that you're going?" Kristoff interrupted to ask.

"Alan stays close to home, which I appreciate," Charlotte answered for him. "You should ask Gustav that question, though. Lady Adele claims that he used to casually announce at the breakfast table that he was sailing with the tide that day to visit four other countries and he may or may not get home before summer was over. That caused quite a bit of consternation for both of them, until he learned better."

"Gustav made his wife mad?!" Kristoff said, astounded.

Charlotte took his hand and patted it. "Any relationship has some bumps in it. Keep at it, though. Relationships aren't easy, but they're worth all the effort."

"Can we dance now?" Sophronia asked. "Are you done talking?"

Tilly was still twirling her way across the floor. She stopped at the alcove near the back of the room and asked, "What are you doing in there?" Then she went on, "what does eavesdropping mean?"

"Tilly, who are you talking to?" Alan asked, walking towards her.

"Princess Anna. She's crying." Tilly came running to her father and he spun her around and sent her towards her mother.

"Your Highness," Alan said, offering Princess Anna a hand to help her stand. Then he handed her his handkerchief. "We were all just leaving. Good day to you." He bowed to her and then shooed all his children out the door over Sophronia's protests.

Bern would have followed them, but Kristoff shot him a panicked look and he stayed.

Anna's hair was rumpled, and her eyes and nose were red with crying. She looked sad instead of angry, and in some ways that was worse. Kristoff could stand being yelled at; he couldn't stand knowing she was sad because of him.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," she said. "No one but me ever comes here. I didn't want to see anyone, so I hid when I heard people coming, and then it was you."

"And you for sure didn't want to see me," Kristoff added for her.

"You said some really nice things about me," she said, sniffing, trying to smile.

He'd bared his soul, and now he was a hundred times more vulnerable in her presence than ever before. If she still hated him, he was leaving for the mountains and never coming back.

She started to cry again. "I wasn't yelling at you when I yelled at you."

Her head was down, so Kristoff gave Bern a completely bewildered look, which he returned with equal confusion.

"It's just that you were being so wonderful, and so I got scared you'd say it was all a sham and then leave me. I mean, I know you wouldn't do that but I'm still scared you will," Anna said.

"Come sit down, your Highness," Bern said, guiding her to a bench along the wall. He pulled up another bench for himself and Kristoff. "Why would you be scared of that?"

Anna cried so hard she couldn't talk for several minutes. Then she hiccupped and said, "That's what Prince Hans did to me. He was so wonderful and perfect and exactly what I needed. He said he'd never shut me out. And then he laughed at me for trusting him and locked the door and left me to die. Everyone thought he was wonderful! He said he loved me, and I wanted to believe him. But everyone thinks Kristoff is wonderful too, and what if it happens again?"

Kristoff gave Bern that completely bewildered look again.

"Your Highness, at the risk of overstepping," Bern began.

Anna interrupted him. "Oh, for heaven's sake! Call me Anna, and overstep all you want. I'm sick of acting like I know what I'm doing. You take over."

Bern smiled at her. "All right, Anna. Kristoff is nothing like Prince Hans. For one thing, no one else thought Prince Hans was wonderful. He played a part to you on purpose, and it was despicable that he tricked you, but it was nothing but a trick. He treated the rest of us with rudeness, and actively blocked every effort we made to try and help Queen Elsa. Gustav was horrified when we heard you'd agreed to marry him – he was very vocal about how no one should trust Prince Hans."

"So I was stupid," Anna said flatly. "I have poor judgment."

"No, you were deliberately targeted by a master manipulator. What he did to you was calculated and vicious. Hans didn't play the part to anyone else, but even so, we all saw his courage, leadership, charisma and talent. It was his behavior towards us and towards Queen Elsa that betrayed his true nature, and you didn't see any of that. You weren't stupid. You were deliberately deceived," Bern said.

Anna pulled her knees up to her chin and kept mopping her face. Bern handed her his dry handkerchief.

"Kristoff, on the other hand, hasn't tried to deceive anyone. I'm not sure he knows how," Bern went on. "When it became clear that you and Queen Elsa intended to welcome him, Gustav and Vilrun had him investigated."

"You did what?" Kristoff burst out.

Bern shrugged. "No one was going to let an unknown person befriend the queen and the princess, especially after what Prince Hans had done. I vouched for you and gave them a list of people they could talk to about you. I've seen you around the marketplace about three years now, haven't I? Gustav and Vilrun are thorough and my list was just the starting point. Yes, you got investigated. They even tracked down some of your ice harvester friends and talked to them."

"They never said anything!" Kristoff protested.

"They didn't know they were talking to anyone unusual, just an ordinary conversation with someone looking to hire an ice deliverer who wondered if you were reliable," Bern said. "No one could find any indication that you'd been dishonest or cruel. We found some people who don't like you, and a few more who claimed they've managed to cheat you, but no one who could say you were deceitful or vicious. Your character passed muster, Kristoff. You can trust him, Anna. He's a little rough around the edges, actually he's terribly rough around the edges, but he is who he appears to be."

"You did that? Really?" Anna asked, blue eyes wide and still sparkling with tears.

"Anna, I hope this doesn't come as too much of a shock, but we're all quite fond of you and your sister. We do what we can to look out for you," Bern said with an affectionate smile.

"That's so sweet!" Anna said, and hugged Bern.

"You're hugging him?" Kristoff asked in outrage. "Come on!"

"I think my part of this discussion is over," Bern said, standing up. "I wish you both a good afternoon." He squeezed Kristoff's shoulder and left, pulling the door shut behind him.

Anna sniffled and looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. "This morning when I was yelling at you, I was scared of what Hans did. I'm sorry. It wasn't nice, especially after you'd done so many wonderful things. I'm sorry, Kristoff, I really am. You didn't deserve any of that."

"You heard everything I said to Bern about you, didn't you?" Kristoff asked, not willing to meet her eyes either.

Anna nodded. "I thought you thought I was silly," she said in a low voice.

"You kind of told me not to tell you what I really think of you. You said I was like your brother," Kristoff said softly, trying not to let himself hope.

Anna nodded again and sniffed. "You keep trying to do what I tell you to do, don't you?"

"Yeah. Sometimes that doesn't work out so well," Kristoff answered.

She patted the bench next to her. "Come sit by me."

He complied. She leaned her head against his shoulder. Very tentatively, he put an arm around her and released the breath he was holding when she didn't pull away.

"If you got to tell me to do something, what would it be?" Anna asked him.

"Close your eyes," he said.

"Wait, what?"

He just waited until she closed her eyes. Then he cupped her face in his hand and brushed his thumb across her lips. He kissed her. For a second she stiffened, then she relaxed against him and returned the kiss, arms sliding around his neck. When she finally broke them apart, he stayed as close as he could get. "I'm not your brother, Anna," he whispered into her neck.

"I know." At the sound of her laugh, his world turned right side up again. "I kept trying to make that work, but then you would come back and all my good intentions would disappear. I was afraid to admit how much I like you," She traced her fingertips lightly along the loose neckline of his shirt.

"I don't mind being Elsa's brother, just as long as I don't have to be yours. I care for you too much. You know that fairy tale about the bird and the fish who can't find a place to build a home together? Can you change the ending?" he asked, pulling her tighter.

"You're already changing the ending," Anna replied, threading her fingers into his blonde hair. "Didn't you see the bird's mistake? He thought he could woo the fish into leaving the water, but fish can't leave the water. But there are birds who swim."

"Are you going to teach me how to swim?" Kristoff asked.

"I think you're doing that fine on your own," Anna answered with a smile.

He kissed her again.


	28. Chapter 28 - Joy in the Journey

**Chapter 28 – Joy in the Journey**

Bern was pacing the hallway between the portrait gallery and the ballroom, trying to pretend he wasn't waiting for anyone. Every so often, a villager wandered out of the ballroom to get a look at the castle before leaving for home. Bern paced the length of the hallway again. If Anna and Kristoff lasted five more minutes, he was going to assume that things were going well and Kristoff wasn't going to need any help to pick up the pieces. Then he would leave. He hadn't heard any shouting from the portrait gallery, which was a good sign.

The tall door opened and Anna came out, holding Kristoff's hand. Both of them were smiling and Anna kept giggling.

Bern smiled in relief. "All is well, then?"

Anna gave him a brief hug and jumped around, squealing. "Oh, better! You can't even imagine! I'm so excited! I never thought I'd get to make an announcement like this so soon! I have to tell Elsa first though! Come with us!" She ran lightly up the grand staircase.

Bern turned to Kristoff, who gave him a sheepish look and a shrug, but he couldn't get the grin off his face. Bern ran with them up the staircase.

~###~

After Councilor Harold left, no one else was waiting to see her. Elsa took advantage of the lull to lie down on the couch for a minute, pillowing her hand on her cheek. Her head throbbed, and while she wasn't dizzy, she was happy not to sit up any longer.

Several minutes later, Elsa struggled back to a sitting position when she heard footsteps coming rapidly down the hall. She tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear as Anna burst into the room, tugging Kristoff along and followed by Bern.

"Guess what?! Guess what? Guess what!" Anna burst out as soon as they were inside.

Elsa looked at her uncertainly, then at Kristoff, who was smiling hugely and looking thoroughly embarrassed. Bern looked completely delighted by something.

"I'll just tell you!" Anna gushed. "Kristoff is going to tell me when he's leaving rather than just taking off!"

The odd thing was that Anna was watching Bern when she said that. Elsa looked at the three of them in confusion as Bern's expression fell from anticipation to disappointment so fast that it was comical.

Anna burst out laughing.

Kristoff shrugged apologetically. "It was her idea," he said to Bern.

"You need to get thrown in the harbor, too," Bern said to Anna.

"Excuse me, I think I missed something?" Elsa asked.

"Your Majesty, I mistakenly believed that Anna was coming to tell you something much more important," Bern said.

"That's important!" Anna insisted.

"I'll trust your judgment, Bern. If you think it's necessary to throw Anna into the harbor, please make sure I'm there to see it," Elsa said.

"Hey!" Anna protested.

"I'll help you, Bern," Kristoff promised, dropping into a cushioned chair and stretching out.

Anna shook her finger in Kristoff's face. "You will not! Or I won't kiss you anymore!"

"Oh, I have missed something, haven't I?" Elsa said, eyes wide and starting to smile.

Kristoff hadn't stopped grinning since he'd come in, but he managed to grin a bit wider. "She finally gave me permission to like her."

"Only if he quits disappearing without saying anything," Anna clarified.

"She said she'd kiss me good-bye if I told her I was leaving," Kristoff said. "I may leave fifteen or twenty times a day."

"Oh! You!" Anna smacked him on the shoulder. Kristoff tried to put an arm around her waist and she danced out of his reach.

"Anna, if you need help throwing Kristoff into the harbor, let me know," Bern offered.

"I'd like to see that too," Elsa said.

"I'll make sure of it, your Majesty," Bern replied.

Elsa laughed and then said shyly, "Bern, when it's just family around, you can call me Elsa. I think we're good enough friends to dispense with the formalities."

"Bern! That means you can throw Elsa in the harbor too!" Anna said, clapping her hands.

"Only if she promises not to freeze it before she hits the water," Bern said.

Elsa blinked in surprise at being teased, and then she laughed too.

"Guess what else! Guess what else! Guess what else!" Anna gushed.

"I refuse to guess," Bern said. "My last guess was wrong."

"Well, you're the one that told me this! Guess what, Elsa? We're having an awards ceremony for everyone who fought the battle, and afterwards there's going to be dancing! You haven't said yes yet, but you will, won't you?"

"I don't think I told you that on purpose," Bern said.

"Someone had to ask her," Anna pointed out.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," said Elsa. "We need to acknowledge everyone who fought for us. That includes the ice harvesters as well as the Castle Guards. Kristoff, do you think Trixie and Vixie would like to come? We would welcome the trolls."

"I can ask them, but they don't really like the castle," Kristoff said.

"You could dance too, Elsa!" Anna said.

"Oh, I don't dance," Elsa replied.

"You don't dance?" Kristoff asked her.

"No," Elsa said.

"We'll have to invite the whole village!" Anna said. "What can we possibly feed them? Everyone is running out of food! Maybe we'll just have barley soup again. Oh, and chocolate! Lots of chocolate!"

Over the top of Anna's planning, Kristoff said, "Bern, did you know Elsa doesn't dance?"

"I was aware of that, yes," Bern said uncomfortably.

"Well, that answered my question," Kristoff said, looking smug.

Bern mouthed 'harbor' at him, but Kristoff just started to laugh.

Elsa was trying to decide which conversation to follow when Gerda bustled into the room with a tray of food.

"My goodness! I'm worrying that your head hurts and it turns out you're hosting a party!" Gerda said. "Are you feeling well enough for all this?"

"I suppose so," Elsa said.

Gerda tried to give Anna a sharp look, but Anna wasn't paying any attention. She caught Kristoff's eye instead. "How was the humble pie?"

"Great! We had seconds," Kristoff assured her.

Gerda shook her head and sighed. "Well, you'll certainly never get bored with her. Wait an hour and she'll be an entirely different person." She set the tray down on the small round table and poured the tea. "I didn't bring enough for the lot of you. Calm down a bit. All this noise can't be good for that bump on her head."

"She's talking to you, Princess," Bern observed.

"Oh, that's right! Yesterday was traumatic! I forgot!" Anna unexpectedly sprawled onto Kristoff and he grunted.

"Please have a seat, Bern," Elsa finally remembered to say.

He pulled up a chair.

"You didn't ask me to sit down!" Anna said.

"You're already using Kristoff as an arm chair," Elsa pointed out.

Anna heaved a huge sigh and completely changed moods. She rolled over on Kristoff and tucked her hands under her chin and looked at Elsa. Kristoff grunted again at taking an elbow to the throat and a knee in the stomach, yet he still managed to look supremely happy.

"How are you doing? Does your head hurt?" Anna asked with genuine concern.

"It feels all right as long as I don't move much," Elsa admitted.

"Are you seeing double? Dizzy or anything like that?" Kristoff asked her.

"No, I don't think so," Elsa said.

"Then you should be fine. Every ice harvester has hit his head on the ice at one time or another, and unless you start seeing double and falling over, you'll be fine," Kristoff assured her. "But you could use a little peace and quiet. How about I get the noisiest one out of here? Anna, let's go find Captain Torvin and find out when I'm leaving."

"Are you implying I'm noisy?" Anna asked.

"No one is implying it," Bern filled in. "We can just come right out and say you're the noisiest."

"Now I'll throw you in the harbor," Anna threatened him.

"I'd like to see you try," Bern said.

Anna shrugged. "I'll get Sven to help me. He'll do anything I ask him to do."

"She's right about that. Watch out," Kristoff said. "Why don't you stay and keep Elsa company? Let's go, Anna." Kristoff stood up, catching Anna around the waist before she could fall on the floor and setting her on her feet.

"I don't want to impose," Bern said, starting to stand.

Kristoff shoved him back down. "Sure you do. I owe you one."

"I still feel like I'm missing something," Elsa said, looking back and forth between Kristoff and Bern.

"It's just the head wound, Elsa. Things will make more sense soon. Take care now." Kristoff put an arm around Anna and escorted her out of the room.

"Would you look after her, milord? I've fifty people who need to talk to me," Gerda said.

"Of course I will," Bern answered.

"I don't need looking after," Elsa protested. "I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself."

"I'll believe that when we get through a full week without nearly losing you, dearie," Gerda said. "You behave yourself!"

"Oh, that," Elsa said meekly.

"Yes, that," Gerda said. "You do what Lord Bern tells you to do and stay out of trouble. I should have brought you some ice for your head. I'll run down to the ice cellar and be right back."

"No need. Stay here," Elsa told her. "I'll just fold up the tea towel." Elsa folded the towel in thirds and then thought about how much she loved Gerda and wanted to spare her a trip down all those stairs to the ice cellar and back up. She took off a glove and traced a square on the cloth and the cloth froze, crackling with ice. Gingerly, she put it to her head. The pressure hurt, and the cold didn't seem to make any difference.

"You seem different, dearie, if you don't mind my saying so," Gerda said. She stopped bustling and sat down.

"Something is different," Elsa admitted. "I don't know how different yet, but Anna changed something."

Gerda pursed her lips again. "She does have a way of catching everyone off guard, doesn't she?"

Bern laughed softly. "You have no idea."

"Does it help?" Gerda asked Elsa. "I didn't know if a cold pack would do you any good."

"I can't tell," Elsa admitted. She took the frozen towel off her head.

"Why wouldn't it help?" Bern asked.

"I don't feel cold," Elsa said. "I can't get cold, and I don't feel cold, or warmth either."

"That's strange. Your hands are as warm as anyone else's," Bern said. Then he realized what he'd said and looked mortified.

"Well, I must be going!" Gerda said and zipped out of the room.

"I apologize your Majesty, I mean Elsa, or, oh bother. It was at your ice palace on the North Mountain, after you'd lost consciousness. I simply wanted to know if you were flesh and blood and I took your hand for a moment. That's all," Bern confessed.

"It's all right, Bern," Elsa said as she tried to will the blush back down. "It's actually interesting to know that. Sometimes I'm not sure how much I have in common with the rest of humanity." She put her hand to her mouth and giggled. "Am I blushing as hard as you are?"

"Quite possibly," Bern said ruefully.

"That's human too, isn't it?" Elsa asked happily.

"Yes, it is. And I have an answer for you from our conversation that got interrupted this morning," Bern said. "I know why we keep trying."

"Do tell."

Bern nodded towards the door. "Them. We live in the same world with people like Gerda, and Anna and Kristoff. We are part of it all, even if sometimes our feelings forget that. There is joy in the connection."

"Yes, you're right. Yesterday I thought I wanted to disappear from the world forever. And today good things keep happening," Elsa said. "Do you know the wonderful part? Sometimes I get to do something good too. I'm happy I haven't quit. And even if life gets hard again later, that doesn't make the good I'm participating in right now disappear."

"Exactly. The joy is more real than the despair. There's a balance, I think. The depths match. Your capacity for joy is carved out by your capacity for suffering," Bern mused, saying thoughts aloud to see how they sounded in words. "Elsa, may I ask you something personal?"

"Of course."

"When you made those monsters out of snow, they came from your isolation, anger and despair, didn't they?"

Elsa nodded.

"What made Olaf?"

Elsa smiled and felt a catch in her throat. "Olaf is my happiness."

"He doesn't ever go away, does he? He was right here, even when you were out creating snow monsters. They couldn't erase him."

The catch in Elsa's throat was showing up as tears in her eyes. She hadn't thought of that. The ice that came from her fear and despair wisped away when the feelings eased. But the converse was never true. Even at her worst times, Olaf never wisped away.

"That's why we keep trying," Bern said.


	29. Chapter 29 - A Series of Misjudgments

**Chapter 29 – A Series of Misjudgments**

Anna clutched Kristoff's hand to avoid being separated from him in the crush of humanity in the marketplace. Arendelle's villagers were sorting through abandoned belongings and comparing stories with neighbors. The occasional argument broke out because there were too many people in too small a space. As the day began to wane into early twilight, people were getting tired and tempers were fraying.

Kristoff wound them through the maze of people and got them to the Village Green, where the Castle Guardsmen still had a headquarters. It was busier today than yesterday, mostly because Milgard was now bandaging Hamarian soldiers, and there were lots of them who needed attention. Anna looked around, eyes wide, at all the men dressed as ice harvesters in their blood-soaked clothes and splinted limbs. Some of them looked back at her with dull and empty eyes and she looked away, ashamed to see their defeat and misery. They got what they deserved, and she didn't feel sorry for them as a group, but when she saw them as individuals it was hard to feel contempt for their suffering. The giddiness and euphoria she'd felt in the castle evaporated as she took in what was around her. She held more tightly to Kristoff's hand, sobered by the fear that if things had gone differently, he might have been one of these men who needed bandages and splints, or worse.

Gustav spotted them across the Village Green and came striding over, wearing his most formal Council dress, including the topcoat with his Council ribbons prominently displayed. "Your Highness, and Kristoff," he greeted them.

"Hello, sir," Kristoff replied.

Gustav looked back the way he had come, then at Anna. "Your Highness, would you care to meet Lieutenant Markell? He's the commanding officer for the Hamarian soldiers."

"Why would you do that? She doesn't need to see him," Kristoff said, putting an arm around Anna's shoulders.

Gustav betrayed his surprise at the change between Kristoff and Anna by nothing more than slightly raised eyebrows. "Princess Anna is learning about foreign relations. While it would be nice to confine her lessons to the library, what's happened these past few days will be in Arendelle's history books," Gustav said to Kristoff, then turned to Anna. "Your Highness, if you would prefer not to meet him, I won't insist. Lieutenant Markell has surrendered to Captain Torvin, but the surrender needs to be ratified by royal authority. If you would rather not see him, I can ask Queen Elsa."

"They wanted to kill Elsa. They're not getting anywhere near her," Anna said hotly. "I'll do it, as long as Kristoff stays with me."

"Of course he can accompany you," Gustav assured her. He looked from one to the other and smiled slightly at them.

"Maybe someday I'll be as brave as you are," Kristoff said quietly, for her ears only, as they followed Gustav across the Green.

She smiled at him.

Gustav slowed his steps and filled them in as they walked. "Lieutenant Markell was injured when one of the snow beasts threw him into a wall, but he can still walk. His men have turned in their weapons and have been fully cooperative. His concerns are care for their wounded, and returning to Hamar."

"How about we just chase them back up the mountain and see how many make it?" Kristoff suggested.

"While I see the appeal of that, I'd hate to turn a bunch of mercenaries loose on the people who live in the hamlets and hollows on the mountainside," Gustav said. "Getting them out of our country as quickly as possible is as much to our advantage as theirs."

"Oh, the ice harvesters are on the lookout for them. Seen an ice saw? They won't tangle with that," Kristoff said. "They didn't have to come here. No one forced them into it, and they weren't fighting for any cause other than money. Let's turn the ice harvesters loose on them and see what happens."

Anna looked over uncertainly at the hard anger in Kristoff's tone.

"Yes, that's one of our options," Gustav said. "The wholesale slaughter of a defeated enemy is the right of the victor. They wanted to murder our unarmed population, so it would certainly be justified. But you may want to consider whether you want to lower yourself to act like they've acted, or if you can be true to the best that's in you instead of the worst."

Kristoff did not look convinced.

As they approached a group of Hamarian soldiers who were seated on the grass under the watchful eyes of the Castle Guard, one of the men struggled to his feet. He was a plain man with thickset shoulders. His arm was bandaged and splinted, immobilized against his side, clearly still causing him pain. Dried blood streaked his gray trousers and splattered on the upturned toes of his ice harvester boots.

Two Castle Guards stepped up around Anna, Kristoff and Gustav, swords drawn, giving a warning glare to their defeated enemy as their princess approached.

"Lieutenant Markell, I present to you Her Royal Highness, Princess Anna of Arendelle," Gustav said. "Princess Anna will hear your surrender."

Markell made a poor attempt at a bow, cut short by a gasp of pain. He gathered himself up and took shallow breaths, then said, "Your Highness, on behalf of my men, I offer a full and unconditional surrender and accept our defeat at your hands. I ask only that you spare the lives of my men, and assist the wounded. We will depart Arendelle as soon as possible. There is another column of men under Lieutenant Finley's command that were some distance behind us. We have not heard from them in two days. Should it be necessary, I offer my assistance to assure Lieutenant Finley that the battle is over."

"He might have been smart enough to go home already after the avalanche and the fire," Kristoff told him. He still had hold of Anna's shoulders, ready to pull her out of the way at a second's notice.

"We did not expect the attacks in the mountains," Markell admitted. "It was masterfully done, and completely unexpected."

Kristoff's glare didn't falter.

Anna drew up to her most royal stance and said, "I accept your surrender. We will tend to the wounded. Your men who can walk will leave at dawn tomorrow. The others will follow as soon as possible."

Lieutenant Markell nodded again.

Gustav leaned in close to Anna and whispered, "Money."

"Of course your men will pay for what they receive," Anna said sternly. "Your actions have cost Arendelle dearly. Obviously, your government knew what you were doing, even if they pretended to stay neutral. You will deliver a demand that your government representatives meet with our delegation about reparations." She looked at Gustav out of the corner of her eye and he nodded his approval.

"Yes, your Highness," Markell said, still breathing shortly against the pain in his ribs. "I beg the privilege of asking a question."

"Ask," Anna replied.

"Are the snow monsters gone for good? What are those creatures? I'd heard about your queen, but I didn't believe the stories." Markell's formality broke enough to let some of his shock and fear come through.

Anna's instinct to keep people from thinking Elsa was strange warred with her instinct to protect Arendelle by any means and she hesitated.

"Now you know they're not just stories, don't you?" Kristoff stepped in. "If avalanches, floods and fires aren't enough, we get out the serious stuff. You stay away from our country, got it?"

Markell gave Kristoff an uncertain look. "I didn't catch your name."

"This is Kristoff of the Castle Guard," Gustav introduced him. "He's the force behind the difficulties you experienced in the mountains. I advise you not to upset him further."

"Or the rocks under your feet get into the fight too," Kristoff warned.

"That happened during the flood," Markell said, swallowing hard. "I thought it was just your queen with the strange powers. I didn't know there was another one, even more dangerous."

"You just get out of Arendelle, and you don't have to find out what else I can do," Kristoff threatened him.

"Yes, sir," Markell said, still pale.

"Is there anything else? Or can I get the princess out of here?" Kristoff asked Gustav.

"That was sufficient," Gustav answered.

Kristoff nodded curtly at Markell and led Anna away from him. Gustav came with them.

"You know, Kristoff," Gustav said with a sigh, "Queen Elsa added a whole new dimension to the complexity of foreign relations with her unique abilities, and now you've complicated matters further."

"That's all right, sir, you've got Anna to figure it out for you," Kristoff assured him.

"Do things like this really get into the history books, sir?" Anna asked.

"Not the official ones, your Highness," Gustav said with a wry smile. "But where do you think fairy tales come from?"

~###~

Kristoff held Anna's hand as they walked with Gustav across the Village Green towards the clock tower, where they could see Captain Torvin and Councilor Vilrun in conversation. The sun was hidden behind the high clouds, and the shadowless light was dimming further as it began to sink behind the mountains. Kristoff was wishing he'd found a uniform coat to wear, or his ice harvester sweater, against the chill in the air. As they walked, people turned to watch him as word continued to spread about what he'd done to win the battle. All the attention was starting to make him nervous. Perhaps they were staring at Anna instead.

As Captain Torvin and Councilor Vilrun turned at their approach, Gustav quietly reminded Kristoff to salute.

Kristoff saluted. Torvin and Vilrun returned the salute, then greeted Gustav and Anna.

"Are the surrender formalities taken care of?" Vilrun asked.

"Yes, Princess Anna accepted Lieutenant Markell's surrender," Gustav said. "She stated that anyone who can walk leaves at dawn tomorrow. We'll tend to the wounded, and get them back to Hamar as quickly as possible. Lieutenant Markell will deliver a request for a meeting with Hamar's government representatives about reparations."

"Very good," Torvin said with a nod.

Anna gave Gustav an uncertain look and he whispered to her, "Look confident. You're doing fine."

"Yes, of course we want them gone as soon as possible," Anna added, switching to confidence.

"Gustav, we'd like to send Kristoff back up the mountain for a few days before you start giving him assignments related to Hamar, if that can be arranged," Vilrun said.

"I can spare him for a few days," Gustav said. "We ought to give Hamar a few days to learn who they're dealing with." He smiled, and then began to laugh. "Kristoff managed to leave the misimpression that he has magical powers over the mountain. Hamar may be very willing to cooperate with him, simply to avoid antagonizing him."

"It just kind of happened," Kristoff said with an apologetic smile.

"Well, it's not too far off the truth! Rocks with big ears, indeed!" Vilrun said. "Speaking of which, do you need to check in with them to find out where Trixie and Vixie have gone?"

"Yeah, I can do that. I'm sure they went home," Kristoff said.

Vilrun gave Kristoff a speculative look. "Is there any chance I could accompany you? I admit I'm very curious about these creatures."

"Ah, let me think about that," Kristoff said. The idea of Vilrun sitting down with Bulda, Cliff and Grand Pabbie for a long talk about him freaked him out a bit.

"Kristoff, could we ask some of your ice harvester friends to assist us in getting the Hamarians back over the mountain? The Castle Guards will provide security, but if we had guides who are as knowledgeable as you are about the terrain and the weather, it would be helpful. We'll pay them, of course," Captain Torvin said.

"I can ask," Kristoff said. "I'll take off with Sven and Olaf in the morning to go find some of them, and meet you at Tanner's Wash. I mean, if that's what my orders are. What are my orders?"

"Princess Anna, do you have any orders you'd like to suggest?" Captain Torvin asked her with a wink.

"Oh, that's so fun! Let's see. Kristoff, I order you to do whatever you want to do to get rid of the Hamarians and get back home as soon as you can," Anna said.

"Works for me," Kristoff said with a shrug.

"Except you can't kiss me good-bye before you leave," Anna went on. "You're leaving at dawn, and if you come wake me up at dawn, I'm more likely to grump at you than kiss you. Too bad for you."

"Oh, we can just take care of that right now, then," Kristoff said.

He swept her up into a tight embrace and enthusiastically kissed her. Anna returned the kiss as whistles, catcalls and applause broke out around them.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" Anna said breathlessly when he released her.

Kristoff waved at their audience.

"You're dismissed, Kristoff. Get ready for a dawn departure. We'll plan on meeting you at Tanner's Wash," Vilrun told him, laughing.

"Yes, sir," Kristoff said with a salute. He walked off hand in hand with Anna.

Vilrun chuckled and said to Gustav, "I seem to recall you saying once that Kristoff was completely inappropriate as a suitor for Princess Anna."

"You're going to throw that back in my face, are you?" Gustav replied as he broke into a smile. "I'll have to borrow something I heard you say once. I'm happy to admit I was wrong about Kristoff."

~###~

Elsa woke up from her nap as the daylight dimmed to dusk outside her window. As she sat up, her head throbbed sharply once, then subsided to a dull ache. Her hand went to the back of her head and smoothed down the hair that still spilled loosely over her shoulders. She shook the folds out of her deep purple skirt and slipped her feet back into her shoes. Her black gloves were on the bedside table. She considered, and then put them back on. She was going downstairs, and the villagers might be more comfortable with her if she was wearing gloves. While she was beginning to think she could trust herself barehanded, no one else was used to the idea yet.

She decided to take the servant stairs that opened up in the corridor near the kitchen, where she wouldn't have to make a grand entrance. Perhaps no one would notice she was finally downstairs, and she could stay in the shadows and observe people without being noticed. Perhaps she could find Bern again.

A smile crept unawares across her lips at the same time an unfamiliar feeling tugged at her heart. She had never expected to feel understood by anyone, and yet that's what she had encountered in her conversations with Bern today. After a childhood of being cut off from the rest of humanity both physically and emotionally, Elsa had spent the past four months searching for connections. Today she had found a significant connection. Likely, that was all it was, she told herself. It wasn't anything like what Anna felt for Kristoff, she was sure of that.

A few months ago, Kristoff had told her about his own childhood, and the problems he still struggled with because of the isolation of his early years. He'd told her that you can't let people help you with certain problems. That had sounded true when he'd said it, and yet it hadn't worked out for her in reality. The more she let Anna help her and love her, the more progress she made in dealing with her strange powers.

Today, Bern had claimed that no one makes progress on their problems when they work alone, and that was closer to what she'd experienced. True, they were still her problems. Anna couldn't solve them for her, but Anna's love and acceptance had been invaluable in helping her find her path. Bern hadn't solved her problems either, but his thoughts and candor had also helped her along the path. Perhaps there was a happy medium between expecting someone else to solve your problems for you, and total isolation. The interdependence she was discovering now had brought her joy as well as progress.

Her thoughts turned back to Kristoff, and she wondered if he would truly let Anna help him, or if he simply wanted to kiss the princess now that he'd rescued her again. Anna was going to have a difficult time if Kristoff still insisted on emotional isolation even as he wanted physical closeness.

She was the opposite of Kristoff. She wanted emotional closeness, but still clung to the idea of physical isolation. Her gloves were a comfortable barrier, along with her refusal to dance, and the formality she maintained with everyone except Anna and Kristoff. She'd drawn Bern into that inner circle today as well. He would have to respect her limits, the same way Kristoff did. She found herself hoping that Bern had a love interest hidden away somewhere. He was so kind, handsome, funny and intelligent; he must have a dozen ladies hoping for his attention. Part of the reason she could enjoy Kristoff's friendship so much was because Anna was always there. Even when Kristoff had carried her home last night, Anna had been there. Friendship was safe; romance was not.

Bern had carried her all the way back from the North Mountain, unconscious and injured, protecting her from the people who feared her and wanted to kill her. He'd held her bare hands when she hadn't been able to tell him no.

The step froze beneath her foot. She stopped on the staircase and backed up. The next step froze too. Her hand on the banister was still safely in its black glove. Her train of thought pointed out that the gloves weren't just to keep her power in safe bounds; her gloves were a barrier that kept her from risking contact with anyone else. Unbidden, her memory replayed for her the look on Bern's face when he'd first seen her that morning with her hair loose, and the way they'd both blushed when he'd admitted to touching her bare hands.

She kept backing up the stairs, and the stairs kept freezing. She didn't have feelings for Bern, but she began to suspect that he might have feelings for her. An image presented itself to her mind of Bern putting an arm around her the way she'd seen Kristoff encircle Anna so easily. She couldn't let him do that. Anna could sprawl over Kristoff and let him kiss her and like it. But the idea of that much contact with another person was anathema to Elsa. She'd always cast her physical isolation as a way to protect other people from getting hurt by her powers. Anna loved her enough to touch her without getting hurt. Last night, Kristoff had claimed the same ability. She hadn't hurt either one of them. Apparently, she'd spent the greater part of a day nestled in Bern's arms, unconscious, when he'd brought her back from the North Mountain four months ago. She hadn't hurt him either.

It was possible Bern didn't think of her as a sister. If he could touch her without getting hurt, then would he expect her to allow it? If she wouldn't hurt him, then why was she so afraid that he might reach for her hand? She didn't want to see Bern again after all.

No one really needed her downstairs. They didn't even know she was coming. She had the perfect excuse to go back to her room and rest until her head felt better. As she went back up the steps, the stairs froze beneath her feet, spikes of hoarfrost jutting out around the edges. She got back to her room and shut the door. Snowflakes appeared and hung in the air. Elsa tried to stifle her feelings, but she wasn't as good at that as she used to be, and they kept insisting she feel them instead of concealing them. And there was no use in trying to consider Bern's perspective; that's what had set off all this fear in the first place. She'd only come out of her room four months ago. She thought she'd made so much progress, but this was all it took to show her that she still had such a long way to go.

~###~

"I can get the other end of it, Riks," Bern told the guardsman. He picked up the divan and helped Riks maneuver it back to its place in a corridor.

Everyone at the castle worked to put the castle back together as the villagers departed for home. Bern was downstairs, helping out where he could and talking to people who wanted to talk. When he saw Lady Marda at the food tables in the ballroom, he walked over and she handed him a stack of empty soup tureens.

"Follow me with those, would you?" she asked him.

Bern carried a load of dishes to the kitchen, where the maids still looked shocked and uncomfortable to have a ranking Lord and Lady helping out with common labor. He deposited the dirty dishes on a table and got out of there to reduce their awkwardness around him.

As he left the kitchen, he saw something unusual about the servant staircase at the end of the corridor and walked down to see what it was. The stairs were coated with melting ice and frost. He returned to the kitchen and fetched a handful of towels. He dropped a towel on the stairs and mopped up the melting ice.

Bern's gray eyes were pensive and the corners of his mouth pulled down. He'd frightened her. He'd known better than to say so much to her, yet he simply couldn't stop once they'd started to talk. It was too much, too soon for her. He'd loved her for so long now, yet she was still so new to life and love. If anything was to happen between them as he hoped, it would all have to go at her pace, not his.

Gerda was next to him now. She took a cold sopping towel from him, wrung it out into a bucket and handed it back to him.

"When you check on her, please tell her I'm sorry I caused her distress," Bern said as he rubbed at the frost on the next step.

"May I speak candidly, milord?" Gerda asked him.

"Of course."

"You're not the cause. She's still wrapped up in herself and her own fears more than is good for her. Don't let this persuade you to give up on her," Gerda said.

"Am I that transparent?" Bern asked ruefully.

"Tolerably so, milord. You should have seen your face when you brought her in from the North Mountain. She can trust you, and someday she'll admit that," Gerda said.

"Thank you, Gerda," Bern said.

"Here, take those back to the kitchen while I go help her," Gerda said. She handed Bern the bucket of wet towels and went up the stairs.

Bern took the towels to the kitchen and wondered how long it would be before he could be the one to go help her.


	30. Chapter 30 - Awkward Encounters

**Chapter 30 – Awkward Encounters**

Five of the ice harvesters were willing to come with Kristoff to Tanner's Wash to guide the Hamarians back to their borders. They pulled up in reindeer-drawn sleds and stopped. The snow was two feet deep near Tanner's Wash. As the sun came up, it sent sparkles over its surface from a clear blue sky.

Lito looked over the mass of bandaged and splinted Hamarian men dressed like ice harvesters and said, "That's just creepy."

"You get us into the weirdest situations," Duff told Kristoff. He pulled off his gray, wool cap to scratch his head and then replaced it.

Hatch and Rolf snorted a question at Sven. Sven snorted back, rolled his eyes and pointed his antlers at Kristoff.

"I heard that," Kristoff told him. He got off Sven. "Hang on, I'll go find someone." Kristoff was back in his ice harvester gear for the trek through the mountains. It was a little strange to be dressed like the enemy, but he didn't want his feet to freeze in those thin, uninsulated guard boots.

"Did Kristoff ever give you a sword?" Bagley asked Olaf as Kristoff walked off.

"Yeah!" Olaf said from Sven's back. "I gave it to Elsa."

Roark barked out a laugh. "I'm going to turn that into a ballad. Want to sing a duet with me, Olaf?"

"I love to sing!" Olaf proclaimed. He belted out a rich, low note that drew strange looks from all over the field.

Roark started to laugh in earnest. "You come with Kristoff next time he heads up to our ice lakes, all right? You can sing bass."

"I can't wait!" Olaf said, dancing on Sven's back.

Kristoff returned with Captain Torvin and introduced everyone. "Captain Torvin, this is Lito and Hatch, Bagley and Fleas, Duff and Rolf, Roark and Chords, and Zak and Newt." The men nodded. The reindeer bobbed their heads too.

Captain Torvin looked quizzically at the reindeer, then addressed the men. "We appreciate your willingness to help. If you'll come with me, I'll introduce you to the lieutenants you'll be working with. They can explain what we need you to do."

"Kristoff! Roark says I get to go with you next time you head up to the ice lakes!" Olaf announced.

"He does, huh?" Kristoff replied.

Captain Torvin stopped to frown at him. "We don't have any reason to send you back up to the ice lakes."

"Send him back? Who sends Kristoff anywhere?" Duff asked.

"Guys, I kind of joined the Castle Guard, but yeah, I'll be back to the ice lakes," Kristoff said, looking from Torvin to the group of ice harvesters who were giving him puzzled looks.

"You did what?" Lito burst out.

"Your idiocy truly knows no bounds," Zak said, with a shake of his head.

"It's a temporary thing," Kristoff insisted.

"I wasn't aware it was temporary," Captain Torvin said, still frowning.

As Councilor Vilrun approached, Torvin asked him, "Did you know Kristoff considers his guard service to be temporary?"

"Yes, I'm aware of that. He's got a few weeks before he needs to make a final decision, since it will take us that long to get him a new sled. He can't harvest ice without a sled," Vilrun said. He nodded a greeting at the ice harvesters and reindeer. Vilrun was dressed for the weather in woolen pants, heavy boots, and a thick cloak over his uniform coat. He had a close-fitting fur hat pulled down over his ears.

"Is that why you destroyed your sled?" Bagley asked him.

"What? No! It got caught in the avalanche," Kristoff protested.

"They aren't expecting us to join, are they?" Duff asked. Rolf, Chords and Hatch gave Kristoff suspicious looks.

"No! Come on already! There was a war on!" Kristoff protested again.

"We need you more than they do," Captain Torvin said, with a tip of his head to indicate the ice harvesters.

"Don't I have to leave now or something, Councilor?" Kristoff asked Vilrun plaintively.

"You're not coming with us?" Lito asked.

"I'll meet up with you by this evening. I've got to check in with the trolls first," Kristoff explained.

"If you quit ice harvesting, I get the castle's business back," Duff told him.

"I'm not quitting," Kristoff insisted, darting an uncertain look at Torvin.

"Let's go, Kristoff," Vilrun said, taking pity on him.

Chords and Hatch growled a few questions at Sven. Sven rolled his eyes and looked exasperated, then followed Kristoff. Olaf waved a cheerful good-bye from his perch between Sven's antlers.

"Yeesh, that was uncomfortable," Kristoff commented.

"You know what my vote for your future is. Let me know when you make a decision," Vilrun said. "Let's get going. I'd like to meet up with our men again by mid-afternoon if we can possibly manage it."

Kristoff did not want Vilrun coming to the Valley of Living Rock with him, but Vilrun assumed he was accompanying Kristoff, and that's what happened because Kristoff didn't dare insist that he stay behind.

As they reached the steam vents, Kristoff got off Sven, so Vilrun dismounted from his horse and led him, looking around with interest at the gray stone terraces covered in round rocks and patches of moss.

"They can be a little inappropriate, disrespectful and loud," Kristoff warned him.

"Family resemblance?" Vilrun asked.

Sven brayed hello at the round rocks as Olaf jumped down and started bouncing around, shouting greetings. With a rumble and a roll, the trolls rushed around and unrolled into their people forms.

"Kristoff's home!" Bulda shouted, and a party started as they whooped and hollered and talked at the same time.

"Weren't you just here?"

"I'll wash your clothes!"

"Can we knock down a mountain next time?"

"When are you taking us ice blocking?"

"Chone stole your ice axe!"

"Did not! I traded him a mushroom. He just doesn't know about it yet!"

"We found Nixie!"

"Can I stand on your head?"

"Pick me up!"

"Kristoff! That's the wrong one!"

This last bellow came from Bulda, as she glared at Kristoff and pointed to Vilrun.

The trolls fell silent and double-blinked at Vilrun.

"You're marrying Anna!" Bulda said, jabbing a stone finger into Kristoff's shin.

"I already have a wife," Vilrun said as comprehension dawned about Bulda's concern.

Kristoff dropped his head into his hands with a moan of embarrassment and didn't even try to set things straight.

"We came to see if you made it back home safely," Vilrun said. "We wondered why you didn't come back."

"I found Nixie!" Vixie announced proudly. She went over to the crowd and yanked out a shy troll girl who blinked at the attention and looked strangely lopsided. "I had to bring her home before she got lost again."

"Where's Trixie?" Kristoff asked.

"She's still lost," Vixie said with a shrug. "But at least I found Nixie!"

"I don't know Nixie," Kristoff said.

"We lost her when they were building the castle," Vixie explained. "She went with a load of limestone and fell off in a river and got stuck."

"I eroded," Nixie said.

"We'll get you fixed up soon," Bulda said, patting her misshapen head.

"Where's Punky?" Nixie asked.

"He's gone. We have Kristoff now," Vixie said.

"Punky?" Vilrun asked.

"My pet cockroach," Bulda said with a sad sigh. "He passed on. Now I have Kristoff."

"I'm a pet?" Kristoff asked in outrage.

The trolls looked at him and double-blinked.

Sven brayed a laugh, then rolled onto his back and laughed some more, kicking his feet in the air. Olaf joined in, because he liked to laugh and Sven looked funny rolling around like that.

Grand Pabbie came rolling down the terraces. "Hello, Kristoff. Is it your fault that volcano is erupting over in Iceland?"

"I didn't set off a volcano!" Kristoff protested. "Am I a pet?"

"Of course not," Grand Pabbie assured him. "We discussed this, remember?" Grand Pabbie said sternly to the trolls. "He talks. Punky didn't talk."

"Sven talks too!"

"And Olaf!"

"Kristoff talks _for_ Sven, silly!"

"Where is Cliff?" Grand Pabbie wondered. "We've had the best discussions about the meaning of intelligence while trying to figure out exactly where humanity fits in the range of sentience. Does the ability to communicate necessarily create an assumption of intelligence? Is it the ability to communicate abstract thoughts rather than simply physical needs that elevates a creature from bestiality to trollity? What are the gradations in between?"

"Do you know, we had a philosopher who coined the phrase, 'I think, therefore I am,' and he offered some interesting reflections on the nature of sentience and existence," Vilrun said. "He was searching for a way to prove that existence actually exists, outside of the evidence of our senses."

"Do tell," Grand Pabbie said. "Have a seat."

Vilrun introduced himself and sat down on a terrace step. Pabbie seated himself next to him, his grass hair waving in the slight breeze. Vilrun did his best to summarize Descartes' philosophical writings while Pabbie listened intently. Olaf climbed up next to Pabbie and asked, "What's sentient mean?"

"The property of being self-aware and intelligent," Vilrun explained. "It connotes an ability to define your own destiny, and demands certain treatment from other sentient beings."

Olaf blinked.

Vilrun continued to explain Descartes' philosophy, then added in a few thoughts of Aristotle for comparison.

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm," Pabbie said after several minutes. "We can stipulate that he exists. But in your opinion, is Kristoff sentient?"

Kristoff stomped off past Sven, who was still braying with laughter. The ground turned to soft loam under his feet and he landed on Cliff, Ghiff, Biff and the other male trolls who appeared out of the ground, followed by Trixie.

"I went to tell them they could come home now!" Trixie said to Kristoff. "You forgot to tell me to go tell them they could leave Webber Pass."

"If you'd come back, I would have told you that," Kristoff said.

"I knew that's what you would say, so I just did it!" Trixie said, clearly proud of herself. "After I played in the river for a while, anyway."

"Cliff," Grand Pabbie called out, "is the essence of sentience self-awareness or altruism?"

"What's altruism?" Olaf asked as Cliff walked over.

"It's when you help someone else solely because you love them, without expecting anything in return," Vilrun answered.

"True love! That's true love! When you put someone else's needs ahead of your own!" Olaf danced with glee to recognize that he already understood the concept. "That's all you have to do to be sentient?"

"In my opinion, it's the most important trait," Vilrun told him.

Cliff popped up onto the terrace and seated himself between Olaf and Grand Pabbie. "You found another human!"

"Kristoff brought him," Grand Pabbie said. "He's intelligent enough that I think we may be able to definitely answer where humans fall on the scale of sentience. Join us!"

"Kristoff is certainly smarter than Punky," Cliff said. "I always doubted Punky's ability to tell himself apart from dirt."

"Punky got married when I told him to," Bulda objected.

"Are obedience and intelligence linked?" Vilrun interjected. "I think we need to define the level of free will involved in obedience, especially when a question as important as matrimony is at issue. Pets are obedient, so that's not necessarily a sign of intelligence."

"Smart men do what women tell them to do," Bulda said ominously, with a dangerous look at Cliff.

"It's all academic, dear," Cliff assured her. "Philosophy has no practical application in relationships."

"As long as that's clear," Bulda said, and went over to yank Kristoff down to eye level. "Are you engaged to Anna yet?"

"No, but she said I could like her now," Kristoff answered.

"Hmm, that's progress anyway. What's your plan?" Bulda asked with a toothy grin, elbowing Kristoff in the ribs. She knocked him over.

"Sir, can I get back to the war?" Kristoff asked Vilrun. "It's easier."

"Do you want to continue that discussion you were having with Captain Torvin and your ice harvester friends?" Vilrun asked him.

"Oh, never mind," Kristoff said, climbing back to his feet. "Hey! Who wants to come to the castle for an awards ceremony?"

"Don't change the subject!" Bulda said, then she brightened as she had an idea. "How about you have the wedding at the same time? I'll come to that!"

"We'll need more time to plan a wedding," Kristoff hedged.

"Has Princess Anna agreed to a wedding?" Vilrun asked.

"Um," Kristoff stalled.

"Isn't this the troll that raised you?" Vilrun asked, indicating Bulda. "I don't think you should fib to your mother."

"Kristoff!" Bulda said in outrage, hands on her hips. Mulda walked over and stomped on Kristoff's foot.

"This isn't exactly a mother-son relationship, sir! It turns out I'm a pet or something!" Kristoff reminded him, hopping away from Mulda.

"You are not a pet. We settled the question for good last week," Grand Pabbie assured him.

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel better," Kristoff shot back.

"Trip him. He needs a hug," Bulda said to Mulda.

Mulda tripped Kristoff. Once he was down on the ground, Bulda walked over and hugged him. Grand Pabbie, Sulda, Cliff and Trixie joined in. Then Mulda, Rhiff, Biff, Vixie, Chone, Stone and Lone popped up and piled on.

"We love you, Kristoff, even if we don't know exactly what you are," Cliff reassured him.

Olaf climbed up the group hug pile and leaned against Kristoff's head, the only part of him that wasn't smothered in affectionate trolls. "You love me too, don't you Kristoff? And no one knows exactly what I am either."

"Good point," Kristoff conceded.

Bulda kissed his cheek. Kristoff turned his head and kissed her cheek too. "Thanks, Mom."

"You'll probably make cuter babies than Punky did," Bulda said fondly, ruffling his hair.

"We need to go now," Kristoff said, extricating himself from the pile of trolls.

"I'll catch up with you later!" Olaf promised. "I want to talk to Grand Pabbie some more about altruism!"

Kristoff was in enough of a hurry to be gone that he didn't insist Olaf come now.

As they rode away from the Valley of Living Rock, Vilrun commented, "Princess Anna is going to have quite the mother-in-law."

"Do we have to talk about that?" Kristoff said.

Vilrun mercifully fell silent, but Sven started humming the wedding march until Kristoff slapped him on the neck.

Olaf caught up to them some time later, skidding along in the snow. He popped up and landed on the shoulders of Vilrun's horse. "Hey, sir, if Kristoff gets to be sentient, can I be sentient too?"


	31. Chapter 31 - Matchmaker

**Chapter 31 – Matchmaker**

Elsa looked up from a list of award recipients when Anna wandered into her sitting room. Anna was dressed in a cotton pinafore dress with long green sleeves and embroidered rosemaling around the skirt, and her hair was washed and braided into her usual braids, but she was still yawning and stretching. Elsa folded the list in half and slipped it under a book on the table.

"Good morning," Anna said. "Your hair looks so pretty that way. You should wear it like that more often."

Elsa had brushed out her hair today; the bump on her head wasn't as tender. A loose braid fell over her shoulder, leaving a spray of bangs across her forehead. She wore a sky blue gown with a sweetheart neckline. "Isn't it afternoon already?"

"Oh, you're funny. I asked Gerda, and she said no one has had lunch yet, so it isn't afternoon," Anna replied, dropping into one of Elsa's flowered arm chairs. "Where is everyone?"

"Rodmund, Gustav and Marda left for home to check on their families. They should be back in the next couple of days and we can finalize the plans for the awards ceremony," Elsa said. "I believe you know where Kristoff is."

Anna heaved a huge sigh.

"Can I hear the story now?" Elsa asked.

"It's absolutely dreadful," Anna admitted.

"But it has a happy ending," Elsa pointed out. "You two are kissing a lot."

"Well, that part's fun," Anna agreed, and she didn't even blush. She giggled instead, and then sighed. "I raked him over the coals and told him to leave me alone."

"When was this?" Elsa asked, shocked.

"Yesterday. The day after he won the war and was absolutely wonderful," Anna said. "I freaked out. I mean, Prince Hans was wonderful, and then he totally betrayed me. I got scared Kristoff would do the same thing, so I totally betrayed him first." Anna sighed again. "It was a completely miserable experience. Then I eavesdropped on him while he told Bern how much he loved me, and that made me feel even worse, so when I got caught eavesdropping, I let him kiss me, and now he's kissing me all the time."

Elsa blinked. "All this happened before the three of you came up to see me yesterday?"

Anna nodded.

"You had a much busier morning than I did," Elsa said. "Are they true love's kisses?"

"How would I know?" Anna said, sounding snappish. "Olaf says true love is when you put someone else's needs above your own. I can't tell if he's doing that yet. He likes to rescue me and kiss me, but it's too soon to see if he's actually going to do anything I need him to do."

"What do you need him to do?"

"I need him to need me," Anna said wistfully. "I need him to want to be here with me more than he wants to be off in the mountains. I need him to stay around even if I don't need to be rescued."

"That's a tall order for an independent, isolated person," Elsa said. If Anna was in love, she wasn't very happy about it.

Anna nodded. "Kristoff and I are all wrong for each other. I can see that. Gustav told me once to only want things I can have. But I can't help it with Kristoff. I'm always going to need him, and he's always going to leave. It's nice he's telling me now, but at some point I'm going to tell him to stay home and he's going to leave anyway."

"I think that has a lot to do with what he went through as a child," Elsa pointed out.

Anna gave her a quizzical look. "What did he go through as a child?"

Elsa's eyes widened in surprise. "He hasn't talked to you about what happened after his family died?"

"His family died?!" Anna stared at Elsa. "I thought . . . I thought . . . I don't know what I thought. I don't know anything about Kristoff! I don't anything about ice harvesting. I don't know anything about what he does when he's gone, or what he did before I met him, or anything at all. I spent a day and a half teaching him to read, and then we had another crisis. Do you know what Kristoff and I need? We need about six months of sheer boredom together. Maybe that would give us enough time to get to know each other." Anna dropped her head into her hands, then growled in frustration and got up to pace around the room. "Tell me what happened after his family died."

"I'm not sure that's my story to tell," Elsa said, wishing she hadn't said anything.

"When did he tell you?" Anna demanded.

"After he was so rude at the picnic and then sent me flowers to apologize. I went to talk to him in the marketplace. I told him all about my childhood, so he told me all about his," Elsa said.

"And where was I during this important conversation between the two of you?" Anna asked. She was starting to blink fast.

"I left you back at the castle," Elsa admitted. The worst thing you could to Anna was shut her out, and they'd done it again.

"So why don't _you_ kiss him?" Anna snapped, trying to forestall tears by getting angry.

The table froze under Elsa's hands. She yanked her feet up off the floor as ice started covering the floor. Elsa went running for the gloves she'd left on her bedside table, leaving frozen footprints across the carpet and turning the door handle to ice as she left the sitting room.

"Elsa! I'm sorry! Elsa!" Anna came running after her.

Elsa hastily pulled on her gloves and turned in time to let Anna hug her. "I'm sorry, Anna. I didn't leave you out on purpose. I talked to Kristoff before I knew how much I'd hurt you by shutting you out all those years. Truly, I haven't talked to him since then about anything important. He really is only a brother to me. I'd be afraid of anything more, with anyone. Kristoff loves you, anyone can see that."

"I know he loves me, but is he ever going to talk to me?" Anna wailed, trying to find her handkerchief.

"Oh, Anna, you said it yourself. You two haven't had time to talk, that's all it is. How about I make it a royal order that he take you on a long walk as soon as he gets back?" Elsa offered.

"He does follow orders," Anna admitted, rubbing at her tears.

"Are we all right? Anna, you know I'd never," Elsa said, stammering as she tried to reassure her.

Anna chuckled and pointed at the frozen sitting room. "The thought of kissing someone freaks you out that badly?"

"Yes," Elsa admitted.

"It's actually really fun," Anna said.

"For you, it's fun," Elsa corrected her. She held up her hands, safely back in gloves. "I have this issue where I might destroy someone, remember? If I loved someone, I'd want to stay as far away as I could possibly get rather than inflict myself on him. He wouldn't be safe, so the more I love him, the more I should avoid him."

Anna pressed Elsa's hands between hers. "Elsa," she said.

Elsa turned away from the pity in Anna's eyes. "It's just who I am, Anna."

"But when we fought the fire together, your powers weren't dangerous at all! They saved Arendelle from burning down!"

"That was your influence that kept Arendelle safe, Anna. I learned from you, I really did. But it's going to take me some time to find out how to do that on my own. Until then, I'm dangerous. I managed a little bit on my own, yesterday. I froze a towel when Gerda said she wanted to put an ice pack on my head. My ice did exactly what I wanted it to do, and no more," Elsa said.

Anna smiled. "That's wonderful, Elsa! And all the snow and ice in your sitting room just sparkled away."

"Thank you," Elsa said with a real smile. "I'll keep trying little bits when I feel like it's safe. But for now, I'm not going to get over-confident, or expose anyone to danger."

"That's why you stayed away from me all those years, Elsa. You thought that if you let me love you, you could destroy me. And the exact opposite turned out to be true. The more we work on being sisters, the safer I am with you," Anna said. "Maybe when you do fall in love, you should work with him on a relationship instead of hiding out until you feel like you're safe enough to not put him at risk."

Elsa looked completely startled, and turned to stare at Anna.

"Maybe Gustav and I will start looking around at foreign kingdoms to find you a prince or someone," Anna said slyly.

Elsa shuddered at the thought. She knew enough history to know queens had to marry for political gain, but her father had died before finalizing her betrothal. She'd never brought it up with her Councilors; they didn't have the authority to insist on a marriage anyway. Gustav had standing orders to turn down suitors. She hoped Kristoff and Anna produced six children to secure the succession and she could die an old maid. Truly, there wasn't much chance that she would love a politically appropriate husband at all.

"Let's wrap up this mess with Hamar, first," Elsa said. "And there's something else important I needed to tell you."

"Are you trying to change the subject?" Anna teased her.

"Yes," Elsa said. "Please let me or I'll freeze the room again."

"All right," Anna said, walking with Elsa back out to the sitting room.

"You said something about Grand Pabbie that wasn't entirely accurate. I'm going to tell you my impression. I'm only telling you this because those trolls raised Kristoff, and since you're liking Kristoff, you may need to be around the trolls. You may have an easier time with them if blame falls where blame is due," Elsa said. She seated herself next to Anna on the couch.

"They do not get to treat him like that anymore!" Anna said, folding her arms and scowling.

"That will be between you and the trolls. I needed to tell you about something else. Grand Pabbie wasn't the one who cut us off from each other for thirteen years. That was father and mother's decision," Elsa said.

"Wait, what?"

"From what I remember, Grand Pabbie said that I needed to learn to control my powers, and fear would be my enemy. That's all he said. It was father who decided to shut the castle gates, dismiss most of the servants, and keep my powers a secret from everyone, including you. I guess mother approved. She never objected, anyway," Elsa said.

Anna simply stared at Elsa, and then her chin began to wobble. Elsa put an arm around Anna's shaking shoulders. "Elsa, when does it stop being horrible?"

"I'm sorry, Anna," Elsa whispered. Perhaps this knowledge would help smooth Anna's relationship with the trolls, but it came at the cost of her memories of their parents. Elsa had wondered whether to say anything, but when she had to choose between preserving a false image of the past and opening up a chance for a better future, Elsa chose the future.

~###~

Four days later, Elsa was poring over summaries of the cost of the battle with Harold, her finance councilor, when Gustav politely interrupted them.

"Your Majesty, Kristoff just got back, along with Vilrun and four squads of Castle Guards. I understand the next group of wounded Hamarians is ready to leave. Would it meet with your approval for Kristoff to accompany us when we make the demands for reparations? I believe the Hamarians may be willing to pay for the cost of the battle if Kristoff is there in person, and the sooner the better, while the stories about him are still fresh."

"With all due respect, Gustav, I've got another task for Kristoff that takes precedence," Elsa said. "Foreign policy has lasted this long without him, I trust you can delay for a day without undue hardship."

"Of course, your Majesty," Gustav replied.

"Thank you," Elsa replied. "I'll leave you here to review numbers with Harold. Please make suggestions as you see fit. Where can I find Kristoff?"

"He's getting cleaned up," Gustav told her. "I'm sure you'll eventually find him in the kitchens."

About an hour later, Elsa went to the kitchens and found Kristoff polishing off another plateful of food. He was in a clean guard uniform, complete with coat and boots, but still missing the hat and white gloves.

"Welcome back," she told him as the kitchen staff got wide-eyed at seeing the queen in the kitchens again.

He nodded while he swallowed and wiped his mouth, and then said, "Thanks. I sent Olaf to tell Anna I was back and I'd come see her as soon as I could. They want me to leave again this afternoon."

"You're not leaving that soon after all," said Elsa. "Would you walk with me for a few minutes?"

"Gustav and Vilrun really want to get that request for reparations to Hamar," Kristoff said, getting the door for her as they walked out into the kitchen courtyard.

"I pulled rank on them," Elsa said. "The request gets sent when I say so."

Kristoff gave her a strange look. "You know, sometimes I forget you're a queen, and then you remind me that you order around the people who order me around."

Elsa seated herself on the low wall surrounding the kitchen garden and waited for Kristoff to sit down next to her. "My other role is as a big sister. Can you tell me what your intentions are towards Anna?"

"To get her to fall madly in love with me?" he suggested.

"And then?"

"Well, marriage eventually," Kristoff said, looking sheepish. "If she'll have me anyway. I don't think we're there yet."

"No, you're not," Elsa said.

"You didn't have to agree that fast," Kristoff said.

Elsa smiled at him. "I'm sending you off today to have a long talk with Anna."

"About what?"

"Anything she wants to talk about. She doesn't even know about your family. You've told me about them, but not Anna," Elsa pointed out.

Kristoff looked off at nothing. "I don't like talking about them."

"You'd rather set off an avalanche?"

"Yeah."

"Think of this as an emotional avalanche, if that makes it easier," Elsa suggested.

He snorted.

"I'm going to give you a hint about how to persuade Anna to fall madly in love with you," Elsa said.

He perked up.

"Be open with her. Talk to her. Tell her all about yourself and your past and how much you need her. If you stay closed off, Anna stays confused, and a confused Anna is not an Anna who is madly in love with anyone," Elsa said.

"Can't I just rescue her again?"

"Let's try and avoid mortal peril for a couple of weeks at least," Elsa replied, getting up. "I'll go find her and send her down."

Elsa found Anna in the library, trying to read a history book. "You heard Kristoff is back?"

"Olaf told me. He said they're leaving again soon," Anna said, her chin on her hand, her blue eyes sad.

"I just freed up his schedule for you. Dress warm, and meet him in the kitchen courtyard. Take a basket of food. I don't want to see either one of you until this evening, understand? And I want you both hoarse from having talked so much by the time you get back."

Anna shrieked with happiness and threw her arms around Elsa before running to her room to get her fur bonnet, cloak and boots.

~###~

That evening, Elsa was reviewing the final draft of the demand for reparations when Anna burst into her sitting room, still in her hat and cloak, cheeks pink from spending a day outdoors. "We rode horses to the Albion Basin, just to get some privacy! Everyone wants to talk to Kristoff! Kristoff borrowed Gypsy, I hope that's okay. We didn't want Sven listening in," Anna gushed.

"He talked?" Elsa asked with a smile.

"Oh my goodness! I finally had to ask him to stop talking! I mean, about his tools. He spent an hour describing ice picks to me. I mean, really? Who needs to learn about ice picks for an hour? I prodded a bit on the important topics, but he talked! You know what? The way the trolls treat him bothers him too! And he told me about his family. Did you know he had a sister that died? And a baby brother. And his parents. Oh, Elsa, I cried!" Anna sniffed as tears threatened again.

"He hadn't told me any details," Elsa said, "just that his family died."

Anna nodded. "Cholera. They all went from being perfectly healthy to dying within two days. Kristoff got sick too, but he lived."

"Merciful heavens," Elsa said, shocked at such an ordeal for a young boy.

"He met the trolls and ice harvesters within a year of getting kicked out by his aunt. Don't you just want to slap his aunt and uncle? How could they do that to him? It really meant a lot to him that Bulda wanted to keep him. I can see why you keep trying to feed him. He told me how much it meant to him that we wanted him to be a brother, and that you were so nice to give him another chance after he was such an oaf the first time you spent time with him.

"Roark is the ice harvester who taught him to sing and play the lute. I want to meet Roark. Did you know Kristoff sings? He's got a nice voice," Anna said. "Kristoff said he'll take me to the ice lakes if I want to go; you could come too! And I told him all about Prince Hans, every single word."

Anna prattled on, dancing around the room, stopping to imitate Kristoff as she repeated something funny he'd said, putting her hands to her mouth to giggle, changing subjects every ten words. Elsa watched her with a smile and thought that this was the sort of happiness she expected to see from a sister in love.


	32. Chapter 32 - Perception and Reality

**Chapter 32 – Perception and Reality**

The next morning, Elsa and Anna were in the small parlor in the south wing of the castle, going over the menu for the luncheon before the awards ceremony. Because the root crops had survived Elsa's coronation storm, the menu mainly consisted of soup with carrots, potatoes, onions and turnips. There was a disappointing lack of fruit and sweet bread.

"It's a good thing we import chocolate, or we might have a shortage of that too," Anna pointed out.

"Mmmm, chocolate," Elsa said. "Why doesn't Gerda think chocolate is appropriate for breakfast?"

"She's so nice about most things," Anna said with a sigh.

Councilor Gustav tapped on the open door and invited himself in. "Good morning, your Majesty, your Highness. I have a draft of my report on the Battle of Arendelle that we will send to Easthaven," He looked at Anna expectantly.

"Because Easthaven has the best military force in this part of Europe, they maintain a library of military actions, whether caused by domestic or foreign disturbances, and the rest of us voluntarily tell them what happens because we want to be part of their library," Anna supplied.

"Essentially correct," Gustav said. "Due to our defense alliance treaty, we are obligated to apprise them of any military occurrences in our country, whether the treaty is invoked or not. It isn't only that we want to be part of their library."

"That too," Anna agreed.

Gustav offered the document to Elsa. She took it and began to read, Anna hanging over her shoulder. Within a couple of minutes, both royal sisters were giggling.

"It isn't intended to be funny," Gustav said, but he was beginning to smile as well.

Anna read aloud. "_'Arendelle's mountain forces were commanded by Guardsman Kristoff of the Castle Guard_.' We had fourteen ice harvesters, some trolls, and Olaf. That's what we're calling our 'mountain forces'?"

"Oh, and this!" Elsa said. "After the flood, '_many of their supplies were damaged or destroyed by an unexpected rock incident_.' Is the 'unexpected rock incident' the troll tunnels, or Olaf's snowball?"

"Keep reading!" Anna ordered. "I can't wait to hear how he describes your snow monsters in a way that sounds like dull history!"

They pored over the document, and then Elsa laughed out loud. "_A weather-related obstacle weakened and demoralized the remaining Hamarian forces_!"

"Weather-related obstacle!" Anna echoed. "Oh, sir, that's beautiful! I applaud you!" Anna applauded and Elsa joined in.

Gustav laid his arm across his chest and bowed at their approval, chuckling. "The goal is to portray Arendelle as a normal country, so others will continue to do business with us. We don't want to come across as the strange cousin that nobody talks to anymore."

"That's only going to last until Hamar sends their version of the Battle of Arendelle to Easthaven!" Anna said.

"Ah, Princess, you forget! It's the winner who gets to write the version that history preserves for posterity," Gustav said, and winked at them.

~###~

While the weather in the mountains was no worse than usual for early November, Kristoff had not enjoyed the trip to the mountaintops. He wasn't fitting in with the other ice harvesters the way he used to. Conversations died when he approached. They asked him for instructions. The easy camaraderie was gone, and he missed it. The Castle Guards weren't sure how to treat him either, even though he was back in uniform for this second trip escorting wounded Hamarians to the border. Lieutenant Moyes checked with Vilrun before he gave Kristoff an order, which was awkward for him and his entire squadron. He didn't know where he belonged anymore, and the problem only got worse when he recalled the trolls' suggestion that he was only a pet.

The confusion bled into nervousness, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was constantly being watched. He'd turn around, and no one was there. He'd ask someone what they'd said to him, and they'd say they hadn't spoken. Olaf picked up on his mood and stuck close to him, which left Kristoff feeling guilty when Olaf's cheerful chatter annoyed him.

The tension from the long talk he'd had with Anna the day before they'd left added to his jitters. He'd taken Elsa's advice and been completely open with Anna about everything she wanted to know. It had gone better than expected, except now the tension between needing Anna and being afraid to need Anna was pulling harder than ever. What if she changed her mind about liking him once she had to time to think about the sort of person he was? He pulled the note out of the pocket of his uniform coat and looked at it again. A few hours into the trip, he'd discovered a note in his pocket. It had his name at the top and Anna's name at the bottom. It was Anna's handwriting, he could tell that much, but he didn't read well enough to know what she'd written. He couldn't possibly ask for help, not on something this personal.

Kristoff carefully folded the note and put it back in his pocket. Ice harvesters, trolls, Castle Guards, Councilors, Anna. Kristoff was reeling under the realization that his entire life was undergoing its own avalanche, and things were never going to be the same. It was times like this when he most needed to just take off and do something intensely physical, like saw ice blocks, climb a cliff, set off an avalanche, or just see how fast Sven could pull their sled across a mountain. Instead, Gustav expected him to be on his best behavior during delicate diplomatic negotiations involving reparations, where he was supposed to stay quiet and let people think he had magical powers over the mountain.

"Let's go, Kristoff," Vilrun told him, riding up on his horse with Gustav beside him. Sven let Kristoff get on, and he trotted off. Councilors Vilrun and Gustav were in their most formal Council uniforms, complete with sashes and dress swords. The impressive effect was muffled somewhat by their heavy topcoats and fur hats they wore against the cold and wind. Kristoff's concession to the weather was to wear a wool tunic under his guard uniform. He was wearing the white gloves, but gave up on the uniform hat.

"At some point, you're going to need a haircut," Councilor Vilrun told Kristoff, as his guard uniform hat fell off again and Kristoff dismounted Sven to retrieve it.

"Yeah," Kristoff said, and hung his hat on Sven's antler. He stayed on the ground and walked along, his arm slung over Sven's back. The wind ruffled through his shaggy, blonde hair and turned his ears red with cold. He wished he had his woolen ice harvester hat. Lieutenant Moyes and Guardsmen Rees, Thomas and Phillip were also on horseback as their escort. Phillip carried the white flag of truce.

Captain Torvin was with the main group of guardsmen and wounded Hamarians some distance away from the delegation that was delivering the demand for reparations. Gustav and Vilrun stopped in a flat area, scattered with rocks that jutted up sharply at frequent intervals. The snow lay thickly on the ground and on the rocks. There were a few scattered pines, poorly grown in the constant wind. Wind whipped along the exposed ridgeline, twisting the snow into small eddies. All of them were pulling cloaks and coats tighter against the cold fingers of the wind that tugged at their hats and wraps. Gustav wanted to meet in an open area that couldn't conceal an ambush. This location was exactly what he'd wanted, but they'd underestimated the discomfort of a mountaintop in November.

It occurred to Kristoff that he'd missed lunch too. Being hungry always made him irritable. He was in no condition to be around people right now, and he was trapped by this assignment. This is why he couldn't stay in the Castle Guard. They would expect him to be able to handle being around people, when what he really wanted to do was take off and not see another human for a month. His chest started to get tight. He looked at Gustav and wondered how he would react if Kristoff said he couldn't go through with this and needed to leave.

"Kristoff!" Olaf hissed in a loud whisper from where he was hiding behind a rocky outcropping. "Do you need another snowball?"

"No, Olaf. Just stay out of sight, all right?" Kristoff called back. He scanned the landscape in front of them, then glanced sharply back at Olaf and the rock he was hiding behind. At first glance, it hadn't looked like a rock. The second time he looked, it was an ordinary obelisk of gray limestone.

"Can I have another sword?"

"No." Kristoff looked closely at the rest of the rocks around Olaf, suddenly suspicious. The last thing he needed right now was another encounter with the trolls.

Olaf sighed.

"Off you go," Vilrun told him kindly. Olaf ran off, dodging around the rocks that thrust up from the snow.

"Let us do the talking," Gustav reminded Kristoff.

"No problem with that. I mean, yes, sir, whatever," Kristoff answered, scowling. He would much rather be trying to bury the Hamarian delegation in snow than listening to them.

A group of six men approached on horseback from the Hamarian side of the border, also carrying a white flag. Four of the men were in military uniforms, wearing swords. The other two were clearly from the aristocracy. Their horses' harnesses were decked out in trim, and their own cloaks and boots were of the finest cut and best cloth. Their swords were lighter dress swords.

"That's Lord Kennet, who was in Prince Hans' inner circle during the coronation crisis, and Lord Navun, the king's cousin," Gustav told them in a low voice.

"Their weapons?" Lieutenant Moyes asked.

"Not an issue," Gustav assured him. "This isn't a surrender. We allow them their dignity, but keep your eyes open."

Moyes nodded. The four Castle Guards nudged their horses closer.

Gustav pulled his horse out front. "Lord Kennet, Lord Navun."

The two men nodded. "Lord Councilor Gustav," Kennet replied.

"This is Lord Councilor Vilrun, and Castle Guardsman Kristoff," Gustav introduced them.

Kennet and Navun's gaze lingered on Kristoff. He glared back at them, with Sven's head hanging over his shoulder.

"We incurred expenses treating the injuries of citizens of your country," Gustav said. "To preserve the friendship between our countries, we suggest the debt be paid promptly. I bring a statement of cost, along with Queen Elsa's personal request that this issue not be allowed to linger." Gustav offered a scroll tied with a ribbon.

"Yes, we understand there was an unfortunate incident," Lord Kennet replied, taking the scroll. "While we were completely unaware of our private citizens' actions, our government has magnanimously agreed to compensate you." Lord Kennet unrolled the scroll and examined it, with Lord Navun urging his horse closer to read it as well. Lord Kennet sighed in disappointment. "We had hoped you would be more reasonable, though. This amount is far too high."

"Indeed not," Gustav said. "When one considers the expense of not only treating your citizens, but burying the dead and providing safe escort to the survivors back to their borders, the amount is quite reasonable. It would have been unfortunate indeed if we'd simply sent them off unassisted. There's no telling if they would have survived another encounter with the mountains of Arendelle."

Lord Kennet licked his lips and darted a nervous glance at Kristoff. "But one does not assume payment for services that were not requested. Your solicitude for our citizens is admirable, but not something our government deemed necessary."

"Perhaps your government does not appreciate the danger your citizens would have experienced if they had been unaccompanied," Gustav said. "I believe Lieutenant Markell may have told you what happens to unwanted intruders in our mountains."

"We do not deem the stories of a frustrated man who is trying to excuse his failure to be of significant concern," Lord Kennet said. Lord Navun nodded his agreement, his mouth twisted into a cynical sneer as he looked down at Kristoff.

"He didn't have anything to excuse; he didn't stand a chance," Kristoff said bluntly. "You're not really going to suggest that he could fight avalanches, floods and fires, are you?"

Gustav tried to give Kristoff a warning glance, but Kristoff purposely didn't look at him.

"Markell had a run of bad luck," Lord Kennet said with a shrug and disdainful glance at Kristoff. "Certainly, you offer no proof," Lord Kennet said to Gustav.

Kristoff grabbed the bridle of Gustav's horse and pulled its head back, stepping in front of him. "What kind of proof do you want?" he demanded. "You send your people into my country to threaten my friends, and you're standing here pretending like you don't know what they were doing. You're such a liar yourself, you think we'd do the same thing! No, I'm not magical like Queen Elsa, but you try and mess with my mountain and you're going to find yourself fighting a lot more than soldiers. Pay up and get out!"

Lord Kennet's expression went flat with disgust and his eyes narrowed. "I don't tolerate disrespect from commoners."

"And I don't tolerate lies from puffed-up aristocrats," Kristoff flashed back, ignoring Gustav who was trying to rein him in without raising his voice.

When Lord Kennet's men drew their swords, Lieutenant Moyes and his squadron drew their swords as well, and began to close in around Kristoff.

Suddenly, an oddly musical battle cry rang through the air. Olaf charged out from behind a limestone obelisk and flung himself down on the snow, skidding past Kristoff, shouting as he came. Kristoff sensed a rumble more than he heard it, and then the Hamarian horses were rearing and neighing in fright, scrambling for footing as the ground heaved. A horse bolted, taking his rider with him. Lord Kennet's horse reared and he lost his seating entirely, tumbling off into the snow as his mount dashed off. He rolled to his feet, pulling his sword, his eyes on Kristoff.

Vilrun grabbed Kristoff by the neck of his uniform, hauled him back and threw him in Sven's general direction, putting his horse between Kristoff and the Hamarians as Lieutenant Moyes and his squadron of Castle Guards stood in their stirrups with swords drawn, wondering what they were fighting. The Hamarians staggered around as the ground shook beneath their feet as Olaf barreled among them and zipped off, and yet the delegation from Arendelle stood on solid ground only a few yards away.

The rumble subsided gradually. Cautiously, the Hamarians tested the ground, which was acting solid again, and tried to calm their horses. Lord Kennet glared at them, furious at his humiliation. Gustav and Vilrun pulled their swords.

"Drop your swords," Gustav ordered, the pleasant tone gone from his voice.

When Lord Kennet hesitated, the rumble came back. He staggered, gasped, and then threw down his sword. Lord Navun and the three remaining bodyguards followed suit. The rumble subsided again.

"As you now know for yourself, Lieutenant Markell experienced much more than a run of bad luck," Gustav said. "If you would like your side of the mountain to continue to behave in a predictable fashion, you will pay the reparations in full. The terms are not negotiable. You have one week to produce payment. I won't insult you with threats, but I warn you not to underestimate us."

Lord Navun held the reins firmly on his skittish steed. "We accept your terms. Payment in full in one week on the condition that you keep him away from our country," Lord Navun said, pointing at Kristoff.

"Agreed and witnessed," Gustav said tightly.

"Agreed and witnessed," Vilrun echoed.

The three of them looked at Lord Kennet until he grudgingly said, "Agreed and witnessed."

Gustav didn't linger. He and Vilrun turned their horses in a tight circumference, keeping their horses between Kristoff and the Hamarians. "Go," Gustav ordered Kristoff. Kristoff swung up onto Sven and the three of them got off the ridgeline and down into a hollow where a rocky outcropping jutted up and blocked the wind. Lieutenant Moyes and his squadron stayed on the ridge to watch the Hamarian delegation leave.

"I told you not to talk," Gustav said to Kristoff. While Gustav was too much of a diplomat to ever show anger openly, his eyes were full of hard displeasure.

"How can you stand to listen to a pack of lies?" Kristoff demanded.

"It's diplomacy," Gustav said. "It's a game, and if everyone follows the rules, no one gets hurt. You could have set off a duel with your ill-considered words."

"He set off an earthquake, Gustav, and it only affected the area where the Hamarians were standing," Vilrun interrupted. "I suggest you stop worrying about what he said and start asking questions about what he did."

"I didn't do it," Kristoff immediately objected. "I don't know what happened. Ask Olaf. I told him to stay out of sight."

"Insubordination appears to be contagious," Gustav snapped.

"I'm not a weapon, sir! You don't wave me around like a sword that can't think for itself," Kristoff said, biting off the words.

There was a rumble and a pop, and three trolls spun out of the rocky outcropping, landing in a triangle around Kristoff as Olaf came skidding into the hollow. Olaf flew right into Bulda, who hugged him. Cliff shook Olaf's hand while Grand Pabbie greeted Vilrun.

Gustav's horse reared in surprise and calmed only with difficulty.

"I think I know where the earthquake came from," Kristoff said. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Following you!" Bulda announced happily.

"We thought we'd see if you needed help," Cliff explained. "Olaf signaled us."

"Vilrun, introduce me to this new one," Grand Pabbie said, indicating Gustav.

Vilrun dismounted. Gustav did the same. They both crouched down as Vilrun made the introductions. "This is Gustav, Arendelle's Councilor over Foreign Relations."

"Foreign relations?" Grand Pabbie asked.

"Yes, Gustav has jurisdiction over Arendelle's dealings with nations other than those governed by Queen Elsa," Vilrun explained.

"Ah! I see! That includes us," Grand Pabbie said and held out his hand.

Gustav shook his stone hand, a helpless look on his face. "I thought Kristoff had already added an entirely unforeseen wrinkle to foreign relations. I see now that I had no idea just how true that was."

"Grand Pabbie is Kristoff's adoptive grandfather. Bulda and Cliff are, I believe, his adoptive parents, unless Kristoff's status is still unsettled," Vilrun said.

"We had an interesting conversation with Olaf after you left," Grand Pabbie said, shaking out his moss robe. "He suggested that if we wanted to confirm our own sentience, we should behave more altruistically towards Kristoff. His logic was undisputable. We'd fallen into the trap of believing that our relationship with Kristoff depended on Kristoff's abilities, while Olaf correctly saw that our relationship depends on how we treat him. We've been following you for a couple of days now, looking for a chance to help him. I trust we were successful."

Olaf jumped around gleefully, shouting, "True love! True love! True love!" with every bounce.

"So I'm a son again?" Kristoff asked. He would never want to admit how relieved he felt about that.

"You were always a son," Bulda reassured him, hugging his knee.

"Well, you know, Gustav has kind of adopted Anna since her own father died," Kristoff commented, willing to spread the joy around.

Cliff popped up and landed on Grand Pabbie's hands, which brought him up to the level of Gustav's chest. "Anna's adoptive father, are you? I guess that means we'll be in-laws! Shake on it!"

Gustav took Cliff's proffered hand and shook it, still unable to get that look of helpless surprise off his face.

Bulda popped up and landed on Cliff's hands, which made her a few inches taller than Gustav. "Are you married? I'm so excited to meet Anna's mother! We can plan the wedding together!"

"My wife's name is Adele, and I'm sure she'll be delighted. Four of our five daughters are already married, so she has some experience with planning weddings," Gustav said, his diplomatic instincts taking over, even in this context.

"We're going to leave before any of those other humans see us," Grand Pabbie said as Bulda and Cliff jumped down. "We'll stay nearby though. Have Olaf signal us if you need any more help."

With a pop and a spin, Grand Pabbie, Bulda and Cliff burrowed into the exposed limestone and disappeared.

"I suggest we get Kristoff off the mountain before anything else happens," Vilrun said, his drooping cheeks twitching with something that may have been a smile.

Gustav leaned his elbows into his horse's saddle and dropped his head into his hands. "There are no precedents for Arendelle's foreign policy anymore. Our queen has inexplicable magical powers. Our neighboring country is going to blame our guardsman for every natural disaster that occurs from now on. And our princess is going to have trolls for in-laws. We truly are the strange cousins no other country should talk to, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Well, Gustav, if you can't have what you want, find a way to want what you have," Vilrun told him philosophically. "I'll stay with Captain Torvin to oversee the evacuation of the Hamarians. Why don't you take Kristoff and his magical retinue and head back to the castle?"

Gustav gave Vilrun an injured look.

"It will be educational for you," Vilrun suggested.

"I'm right here," Kristoff interrupted. "I can hear you, and so can Olaf."

Sven snorted.

"And so can Sven," Kristoff added.

"Yes, because we need a reindeer who can understand speech too," Gustav said.

Kristoff gave him a puzzled look. "All the reindeer can do that."

"Of course they can," Gustav said, throwing his hands in the air. "Because that's not strange!"

"Take a few minutes, Gustav," Vilrun told him. "You're getting sarcastic."

Gustav mounted his horse, wheeled him around and rode off.

"Is he mad at us for being magical?" Olaf asked, his eyebrows peaked with concern.

"No, he's overwhelmed by all the changes he has to deal with," Vilrun said. "He'll be all right once he's had a chance to calm down and process what he needs to accept. No one is all that pleasant to be around when their entire worldview is getting dumped upside down."

"I have that exact same issue!" Kristoff exclaimed.

"Do you need a few minutes too?" Vilrun offered.

"Yeah. I'm going to go find something to eat." Kristoff trotted off on Sven.

"How are you doing, sir? Are you overwhelmed?" Olaf asked Vilrun.

"I'll tell you a secret. My biggest challenge was accepting Kristoff. Once I wrapped my head around Kristoff, dealing with the rest of you became easy," Vilrun confessed.

Olaf walked over and gave Vilrun a warm hug. "I'm so glad! Now we can all be sentient and altruistic together!"

Vilrun hugged him back. "You have the makings of a philosopher, Olaf."

~###~

Kristoff ate two bowls of stew and half a loaf of bread, then spent a few hours preparing to bivouac Castle Guards in the snow. The food and exercise finally cleared his head enough for him to realize that there was someone he could ask to help him read Anna's note.

"Hey Olaf, come with me a minute," Kristoff said.

Olaf gave the sword back to Phillip and dashed over. "Where are we going?"

"Just over here. Do you know how to read?"

"Yep. I'm a reading expert!"

"Can you read this for me? Don't tell anyone else what it says, okay?" Kristoff brushed the snow off a fallen log and sat down, pulling the note out of his pocket and unfolding it before handing it to Olaf.

Olaf climbed up on the log next to him. He squinted at it, then read, "_Dear Kristoff, Thanks for talking to me. I love you. Hurry home. Love, Anna._"

"Really? It says 'love'?" Kristoff asked.

"Both places," Olaf said, pointing out the words.

Kristoff broke into a grin. "Well, how about that!" He took the note back from Olaf and studied it. "Tell me the words."

Olaf pointed to the words and repeated them until Kristoff had the note memorized. "Thanks, Olaf."

"Hey Kristoff, Phillip is showing me how to use a sword. Is that okay?" Olaf asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"Really?" Olaf asked in delight.

"I'd say yes to pretty much anything right now. Go have fun," Kristoff told him.

"Thanks, Kristoff!" Olaf scooted off the log and ran back to find Phillip.

Kristoff looked back down at the note, tracing out the words 'hurry home.' Since meeting Anna, he'd worried about the fact that he didn't have one location he called home. Instead, his homes were the people who cared for him. He had a home with the trolls, a home with the ice harvesters, and he was beginning to carve out a home with the Castle Guard. And now there was Anna. He smiled blissfully at his note, his chin on his hand. Anna was the best home of all.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note: Many, <em>many<em> thanks to my consistent reviewers, ConColor44 and IndyGirl89, and for the occasional review from several others (nirnaeth12 - I've read your review about 56 times, you have no idea how encouraging that was! Thanks!). I look at the story stats, and I was getting a decent number of readers. Is there a reason you don't leave reviews? Other stories of similar length seem to have a lot more reviews than this one, and lots more follows and favorites. If you've liked this enough to read it, is there a reason you haven't commented?**** I'm drafting a sequel (starring Elsa and Bern) and ran into a rough spot that got discouraging. I'm wondering if anyone cares to read it or if I should go find another hobby. Do you want more in this series? The next chapter is the last chapter for this story, so I'm wondering if I should keep going or just call it quits. Want to vote on it?  
><strong>


	33. Chapter 33 - The Awards Ceremony

**Chapter 33 – The Awards Ceremony**

It took two weeks after the Hamarians surrendered to clean up the chaos of the Battle of Arendelle and pull together an awards ceremony. Elsa was up late the night before the ceremony with last minute preparations, but not as late as Anna, who stayed up even later because Bern offered to give Kristoff another dance lesson. Elsa knew Anna wouldn't be very alert or cheerful when Elsa came tiptoeing into her room before the sun was even properly up, but she needed her help.

"Anna, are you awake?" Elsa whispered.

"If I say no, will you go away?" Anna said into her pillow.

"It snowed last night. The courtyard is almost knee-deep in snow," Elsa said.

"I know. It was starting to snow when Bern finally agreed Kristoff wouldn't embarrass himself on the dance floor and let us go to bed. It's such a nice, warm bed. I should stay here longer," Anna said with a yawn.

"The awards ceremony is in the courtyard; we can't fit the village into the ballroom. Can you picture asking the Castle Guards to shovel the courtyard for their own awards ceremony? We can't do that," Elsa went on.

Anna rolled over and squinted at Elsa. Elsa got up at the most indecent hours of the morning, and was already dressed in a plain dress, with her hair falling over her shoulder in the loose braid she'd worn frequently these past two weeks. "Are you wearing that?"

"No, of course I'm changing before the awards ceremony. Were you planning on sleeping until ten minutes before we started?"

"It worked on your Coronation Day," Anna said, pulling hair out of her mouth and stretching. "Why can't the Castle Guards shovel the courtyard?"

"We don't have that many shovels," Elsa said.

"Are you asking me to shovel the courtyard?"

Elsa sat on the edge of her bed. She looked excited and nervous at the same time. "Come help me thaw the snow."

"Wait, what?"

"I don't dare try anything unless you come help me. I've never thawed real snow before, just my snow. I'm worried that unleashing summer in November will cause as many problems as unleashing a winter storm in July. Will you come?" Elsa pleaded.

"Why didn't you just say so?" Anna said, falling out of bed. She grabbed her boots and stuffed her feet inside.

"Don't you want to get dressed first?"

"I'm going back to bed when we're done, and it would waste time if I have to change back into my nightgown," Anna pointed out. She pulled on a robe, and then her heavy winter cloak. "See? No one can tell I'm still in my nightgown unless they look at me. Let's go."

Elsa and Anna ran down the grand staircase in the front hall to avoid the busy bustle around the kitchen as the servants prepared for the buffet. Guardsman Riks was on duty at the main doors. He straightened to attention as the queen and princess approached, and did a double take at what Anna was wearing, then stared straight ahead.

"Good morning, Riks," Elsa said. "Can you get the door for us?"

"Yes, ma'am," Riks said. He opened the inner door into the antechamber, then unbarred the heavy outer door and pushed it open.

"Thank you. We'll be just a minute," Elsa said. She and Anna slipped out the door, then leaned on it until Riks pulled it shut behind them.

Elsa looked at the courtyard full of snow and took a deep breath. "This is crazy, right?"

"Think of it as a weather-related obstacle," Anna suggested.

The giggles helped steady their nerves.

"All right," Elsa said. "Put your hands over mine, like you did when we fought the fire."

Anna complied. "Now what do I do?"

"Think of helping the people we love," Elsa said. "Give me a second." Elsa took a deep breath and shut her eyes. She let her memory roam over the images of the Castle Guards and their efforts to defend Arendelle, the ice harvesters, the castle servants who had worked night and day through the crisis, and the villagers who had filled the castle. She thought of helping them, contributing this one effort to make their celebration today a little bit easier.

"Love will thaw, remember?" Elsa murmured.

"I remember," Anna said.

Elsa let the magic go, and blue sparkles flowed out of her fingertips and danced around the courtyard, bounded by love and eager to help. Elsa opened her eyes and watched as they scoured out the corners and cracks of the courtyard, spiraling into the middle and chasing the snow up into the air. With Anna's hands over hers, she reached up and pulled it into a snowflake and let it burst apart. Ice crystals shimmered in the sunrise and disappeared before they reached the ground.

Elsa ran across the cleared courtyard towards the castle gates, pulling Anna with her. She stopped at the gates and looked out, and then she shrieked. "Look! There's still snow on the causeway! And all over Arendelle! Look at the castle roof! It's still covered in snow! We did it! We did it!" She hugged Anna and twirled her around. "Do you know what this means!?"

"Surprise me," Anna said, caught between giggling and gasping.

"The scary part is that my magic is even more powerful than I thought. I've never tried to affect real snow before, just the snow I'd created myself. What we just did was totally different," Elsa put her hands over her mouth, but she was smiling about it. "Love doesn't just thaw, it's also the secret to controlling my powers. Pabbie was right all those years ago. Fear has been my enemy. He just forgot to mention that love is the opposite of fear," Elsa said. And now her bright blue eyes were sparkling with tears. "Oh, Anna, I learned that from you."

Elsa hugged Anna, and neither one of them said anything about the wasted years when they'd been kept apart.

As they walked back across the courtyard together, they saw Lieutenant Almar approaching from the guards' quarters with a couple of snow shovels over his shoulder. He stopped and looked around the courtyard, then gave the sisters a curious glance.

"The causeway still needs to be cleared," Elsa called out.

"Yes, your Majesty," Almar said.

Elsa started to giggle and pulled Anna along. "Come with me! I'm going to insist we have chocolate for breakfast this morning."

~###~

There was an informal luncheon banquet in the ballroom for the men and their families who were being honored in the awards ceremony later. No one was being formally announced, and the crowd mingled, holding plates of food and drink, or seating themselves at the long tables with bowls of soup. Princess Anna paused in the doorway and looked around for Kristoff. Anna's hair was wound up in the elaborately braided updo that she'd worn at Elsa's coronation four and a half months ago. She wore a deep green skirt with a black bodice embroidered in green. The sweetheart neckline was set off with a matching green ribbon. The long sleeves on her dress were wool. Over it all, she wore a short cloak with a tulip hem, trimmed with more green ribbon. The fittings for her gown had seemed endless, but she was counting on the look on Kristoff's face to make it all worth it.

Instead, Anna stopped in surprise when she saw Kristoff. Since the dance lessons last night, he'd gotten his hair cut. His uniform hat finally fit right. Kristoff was always handsome, but the shaggy good looks of his woolen hat and bushy hair had given way to a smartly tailored appearance that set off the strength of his features to even better advantage, in Anna's opinion. The tall, black boots were polished to a mirror shine, and his green coat with the decorative fastenings and design over the shoulders was as immaculate as his white gloves. He was talking to Councilor Vilrun while Lieutenant Moyes listened and added an occasional comment. There was something about his stance and attitude that was different too. It took Anna a few seconds to realize what it was – Kristoff fit in. He wasn't standing awkwardly, wondering what to say and when he could leave. He had won the respect of everyone here, and he belonged. With a smile, Anna realized that Kristoff looked like a man who could marry a princess.

She swept into the room, reminding herself that today was all about being sophisticated and graceful. Some feminine instinct advised her to let Kristoff find her, and she stopped to chat with Lieutenant Almar, letting her laugh ring out, watching for Kristoff out of the corner of her eye. It worked. She let him admire her for a few seconds before turning towards him and holding out her hand. He nodded at Vilrun and Moyes to excuse himself and made a beeline for her side.

"Close your mouth," she whispered.

He swallowed hard. "How do you manage to get more beautiful every time I see you?"

Anna glowed. "You look quite handsome yourself, you know. Would you do me the honor of introducing me to your friends?" she asked him with a nod towards the ice harvesters, who were clustered in an awkward knot around the banquet table.

"Sure," he said.

Anna laid her hand on his arm and he escorted her over. As Kristoff named them off, Anna smiled and nodded at them, making the ribbons in her hair swing. "You must know how grateful we are for what you did," she said, when he'd reached the end of the list. "Kristoff couldn't have done it without you. Such loyalty and courage!" She turned the full force of her smile and blue eyes on them, and watched them melt.

"It was our honor, Princess," Lito said.

"I can see why he was willing to go to war over you," Bagley chimed in.

"We'd be happy to do it again," Roark volunteered.

"Kristoff, I take back everything I said about you being an idiot," Zak added.

Anna raised her eyebrows at that remark, and Zak added an apology. Kristoff laughed and shrugged it off.

"Roark, do you write music too? Kristoff told me you're the one who taught him to sing and play the lute," Anna said.

"I occasionally write a song," Roark admitted.

"You must put your adventures with the Hamarians into song, don't you think? Find something that rhymes with 'avalanche,'" Anna said.

"That's easy, your Highness. It's 'blanch,' and it's what we all did when Kristoff was telling us his plans," Roark replied.

Anna laughed, and the ice harvesters all rushed to join in.

Captain Torvin approached with two of his lieutenants. "Roark, Bagley, I've been discussing some of your suggestions with my lieutenants. May I beg an introduction to the rest of the ice harvesters?" he asked Kristoff.

Kristoff obliged. Captain Torvin barely gave time for the niceties before he started a conversation about the catapult, marching through the snow, and a dozen other questions focused on fighting a winter campaign.

"I'll leave you to your discussion. I need to talk to Councilor Gustav," Kristoff said with a nod.

"Would you excuse us, gentlemen?" Anna said to the ice harvesters with another sunny smile. "Thanks again for your extraordinary courage."

They rushed to assure her that she was excused with all the best wishes any of them could muster.

As she walked off with her hand on Kristoff's arm, she whispered to him, "You're strutting."

"Yep, I've got reason to," Kristoff said with a smug grin. "She's holding onto my arm right now."

"And here I thought it was because you'd won the war and become the biggest hero in Arendelle," Anna teased him.

"I'm just trying to keep up with you," Kristoff countered.

She beamed at him.

Gustav and his wife, Adele, were standing with Rodmund and his wife, Mirabelle. The men were wearing their formal Council topcoats, with polished black knee boots and black ascots. Adele and Mirabelle were dressed similarly to Princess Anna, with full-skirted gowns and warm cloaks, ready for the outdoor awards ceremony.

"Ah! The man of the hour!" Rodmund greeted them as they approached, turning to set down his plate and glass. "Mirabelle, Adele, I don't think you've had the honor of meeting Kristoff yet." Rodmund made the introductions and Anna beamed again as Kristoff bowed as properly as if he'd been bowing for years, instead of having learned last week from Bern.

"I understand you've been giving Gustav a bit of a challenge," Lady Adele said with a smile. "So good to hear! He tends to get into a rut."

"And now I am not only booted out of my rut, but I find myself on a different road entirely," Gustav said ruefully.

"That's happened to me too, sir," Kristoff said. "Five months ago, my only concern was selling ice and fixing my sled. And now," he trailed off and looked around.

"It's been an eventful half year for all of us," Rodmund agreed.

"I'm hoping for six months of total boredom," Anna said. "We all need time to breathe, and to get to know each other again."

"I'll second that motion," Gustav said.

"Hey, sir, I hope there aren't any hard feelings. I should have kept my mouth shut like you told me to when we were talking to the Hamarians," Kristoff said to Gustav.

Gustav waved off his apology. "No, all's well that ends well. We'll have to take you into account a little better in the future. I'll consult with Princess Anna on that matter. Your Highness, we are now students together in the matter of foreign relations. Queen Elsa and Kristoff have changed the rules so much that we'll have to start over."

~###~

After the luncheon banquet, Anna took her seat on the low wooden stage the carpenters had built in the courtyard under Councilor Alan's supervision. She was seated with the Royal Council, between Rodmund and Gustav. The ice harvesters and Castle Guards were in the first rows facing the stage. She waved at Kristoff when she caught his eye, bouncing with the excitement of knowing that all of Arendelle agreed with her about how wonderful Kristoff was. The courtyard was ringed by braziers filled with burning fires, and they'd scheduled the ceremony for the warmest part of a winter day. The townspeople were bundled up in cloaks, boots, mittens and hats to cram the courtyard for this special occasion.

Lord High Councilor Rodmund called the awards ceremony to order and announced Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elsa. Elsa had waved off Anna's suggestion that she wear her magical ice gown, insisting that people would be more comfortable if they had fewer reminders of her powers. Instead, she wore a deep blue column dress of linen and silk that fell in an unadorned line from the off-the-shoulder neckline to her high-heeled slippers. Matching gloves reached to her elbows. Her hair spilled over her shoulder in a loose braid, providing the gown's only adornment. The simplicity made the gown regal; the color set off her blue eyes beautifully.

Anna refrained from telling Elsa that everyone would be reminded of her strange powers by the fact that she was wearing only a dress and slippers, rather than a cloak and boots like everyone else.

Elsa stepped up to the edge of the stage and drew a shaky breath to begin her speech. Anna strained to hear every word as she thanked the people they were honoring today for their bravery and dedication to Arendelle. She spoke briefly, but her words were heartfelt, and Anna hoped the people of Arendelle would accept her. Perhaps someday, Elsa could appear in public without gloves, and not frighten either herself or her people.

Polite applause rippled through the audience as Elsa finished. Rodmund called up Chief Steward Kai to begin announcing the men who would receive awards.

In his booming voice, Chief Steward Kai announced each hero with a flourish. "For courage and ingenuity, Lito, Ice Harvester of Arendelle."

Lito came up the three steps to the stage, where Elsa took a medal off a table and hung it around his neck, then gestured him to stand on the stage as the applause faded.

"For courage and ingenuity, Bagley, Ice Harvester of Arendelle," Kai boomed.

Bagley came up to accept his medal from Elsa and take his place next to Lito. Kai continued through the list of ice harvesters, and soon all fourteen of them were in a row on the stage.

Anna waved back at Olaf as Kai called out, "For courage and creativity, Olaf, Snowman of Arendelle."

Olaf waddled his way up to the stage, an open mouth grin splitting his face. Laughter rumbled through the applause from the audience. Olaf picked up his head so Elsa could place the ribbon with its medal around his neck. A ribbon long enough to get over his head would allow his medal to drag on the ground. He put his head back and admired his shiny medal before giving Elsa a warm hug and bouncing over to stand by Roark, who rubbed his snowy head affectionately.

Kai began to list the Castle Guards. "For courage in battle, Guardsman Phillip, Castle Guardsman of Arendelle."

Phillip was the first guardsman to bow slightly as Elsa hung a medal around his neck. He took his place next to the ice harvesters to a round of applause.

"For courage in battle, Guardsman Rees, Castle Guardsman of Arendelle."

Kai announced the Castle Guards by squadron, with the lieutenant of each squadron announced last. Kristoff's name wasn't called, but eventually there were forty-eight Castle Guards on the stage, some still in splints, and one hobbling on crutches.

"For courage and leadership in battle, Captain Torvin, Commander of the Castle Guards of Arendelle." Kai boomed out each commendation as if it was the first one he'd spoken.

As Captain Torvin received his medal and took his place, the applause was a little louder, even though people had been applauding for nearly three-quarters of an hour by now.

"For courage, leadership and ingenuity, Guardsman Kristoff, Ice Harvester and Castle Guardsman of Arendelle," Kai called out, his voice swelling as they got to the battle's biggest hero.

Anna blinked away tears of pride as Kristoff came up on stage accompanied by a mighty wave of applause, looking so handsome in his uniform. She'd asked Elsa if she could be the one to present Kristoff with his medal, and had been stunned when Elsa gently refused. She'd swallowed the disappointment and didn't tell anyone she'd even asked. It stung to watch Elsa hang the medal around Kristoff's neck and exchange a smile with him, but Anna kept her smile in place and applauded along with everyone else. Her eyes followed him as he went to take his place with the ice harvesters and guardsmen.

She let her mind wander to the dance that was coming up, and only half-realized that Kai was announcing someone else. "For unmatched courage in saving Arendelle from monster and fire, Her Royal Highness, Princess Anna of Arendelle."

Anna was simply applauding with everyone else at this point. It took a second for Gustav to lean over and say, "Aren't you going up?" That's when Anna processed what Kai had said. Elsa was standing on the dais holding a final medal, smiling at her.

"Do you need an escort, Princess?" Gustav asked her.

"No, thank you." Anna got to her feet and walked over in a daze.

Elsa hung the medal around her neck. Then Anna got a hug and a kiss on the cheek, which Elsa hadn't done for anyone else. "You're an amazing young lady, little sister," Elsa said. She gestured for Anna to take her place with the other heroes of the Battle of Arendelle.

Anna walked down the line of ice harvesters and guardsmen, who were all applauding for her. As she reached Kristoff, he caught her hand and guided her to stand next to him. Anna looked at him, wide-eyed and speechless.

He winked at her. "I told you I'm just trying to keep up with you."

Queen Elsa turned to the crowd and said, "I give you the heroes, and heroine, of the Battle of Arendelle!"

By that time, everyone had been applauding for almost an hour already, but you would never have known it by the explosion of noise and cheering that erupted.

When the applause finally ended, the celebration began.

THE END

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you liked it! I sure had fun writing it. I've got some short stuff coming up in a few weeks, a one-shot with Kristoff and the trolls, and then a short story set at Christmas time that's all fluff'n'romance. There will be one more novel-length adventureromance coming eventually. See you around!**

**Arendelle and the cast of the movie "Frozen" all belong to Disney.**


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